Chapter 12: Lantern Festival

The visitor is the Prince of Dongping.

A while ago, the Empress Dowager celebrated her birthday, and the Prince of Dongping rushed from his fief to the capital to congratulate the Empress Dowager. Now, on his way back to Dongping with his concubine, he happened to pass through Qingzhou Yidu County and decided to visit Xie Liqing. The Prince of Dongping and Xie Liqing have had dealings before, mutually appreciating each other, forming a rare friendship between gentlemen.

The Prince of Dongping’s consort is unwell, so she did not accompany him on this trip, bringing only one concubine. The concubine, Lady Qin, is about the same age as Madam Leng, with a beautiful appearance and a delicate figure, as slender as a willow. She held a swaddled baby in her arms, appearing to be only a few months old.

Madam Leng and Xie Liqing received the guests in the front, and Xie Zhen also followed. Originally, she just wanted to join in the fun, but unexpectedly, the Prince of Dongping actually gave her two beautiful lotus lanterns. She happily accepted them, thanked him sweetly, and turned to Leng Shi, saying she wanted to take them back to play with her sister.

Leng Shi didn’t object and patted her head, “Go ahead.”

As she was leaving, Xie Zhen happened to meet the gaze of Lady Qin. She innocently raised her eyes and smiled at Lady Qin. Qin’s gaze, however, seemed somewhat complicated. She kept watching Xie Zhen walk to the outside of the flower-shaped door before sadly retracting her gaze.

Xie Zhen, holding a lantern in hand, cheerfully arrived at the backyard and happened to see Xie Rong and Xie Xian each holding a bowl, sitting on the corridor, enjoying lantern festival treats. There was a small mahogany table on the corridor, covered with a thick velvet blanket. Fireplaces were burning around, and the two of them were sitting on either side, looking extremely content.

Xie Zhen suddenly felt a bit annoyed, coming over with a pout, “Why didn’t you call me when Brother and Ah Xian are eating yuanxiao? I want to eat too!”

Xie Rong put down his bowl, hurriedly asked the maid to get another bowl of red bean-filled yuanxiao.

He had just come here and saw Xie Xian eating yuanxiao. There was no adult around, so he decided to sit down and eat with her. Unexpectedly, Xie Zhen happened to see it. The little one was quite concerned, puffing up her cheeks and sitting between him and Xie Xian, her little mouth pursed high.

Xie Xian used a silver spoon to scoop up a round and chubby yuanxiao and delivered it to her mouth. With a bit of guilt and an attempt to please, he said, “Sister, eat.”

She looked for a while, opened her tender pink mouth, and took a bite.

Before long, Shuangyu brought up her bowl, placed it in front of her, and she took two bites. Finally, not angry anymore, she remembered there were still two lotus lanterns. She picked up the lotus lantern behind her and placed it on the table. One lantern was pushed towards Xie Xian, and she kept one for herself, saying, “This was given to us by Dongping Wang. Do you like it?”

Xie Xian’s eyes sparkled. Although she liked lotus lanterns, her dedication to eating was stronger. She finished the yuanxiao in her bowl before reaching for the lotus lantern. The lotus lantern had three layers, each painted in different colors. When the wick inside was lit, it reflected the outer petals in various colors, looking extremely beautiful.

The two sisters couldn’t get enough and started playing in the courtyard right away.

The two little ones ran from one end to the other, and the crisp laughter reached the neighboring Li family, catching the attention of Li Yu, who was having dinner.

Li Yu took a bite of yuanxiao, furrowed his brows at the delicate laughter.

What’s so joyful? Can’t they laugh more quietly?

Since the last time they went out together, the parents of both families hadn’t allowed them to go out again. They were probably a bit scared. Even Xie Zhen rarely left the mansion. Xie Liqing and Madam Leng had come to the Li residence to express their gratitude and had brought many gifts, thanking Li Yu for bringing Xie Zhen back from the street. Xie Zhen hadn’t come; it was said that she was a bit scared and had become more timid recently.

Hearing the laughter just now, why did Li Yu feel like she hadn’t become more timid at all?

Wasn’t she supposed to be less lively?

In the evening, Dongping Wang, with his concubine, prepared to set off but encountered a sudden heavy snowfall. The snow fell without any warning, getting heavier and heavier. Snowflakes drifted down from the sky like cotton, covering the ground with a thin layer in the blink of an eye.

Looking at the sky, it seems there will be even heavier snow tonight. For safety reasons, Dongping Wang had to temporarily stay at the Xie mansion and set off when the weather cleared tomorrow.

Fortunately, the Xie mansion had many rooms. Xie Liqing quickly ordered people to clean up several empty rooms, light the stoves, fumigate the bedding and blankets with incense, and thoroughly clean inside and out before inviting Dongping Wang to stay. Concubine Qin stayed in the west wing because she brought her child, so Madam Leng assigned a nursemaid to take care of her.

The nursemaid was Xie Zhen’s wet nurse, experienced in childcare due to her long time with Leng Shi and was well-respected in the mansion.

Qin placed her child on the bed, sat in front of the dressing table for a while, with no intention of resting. Instead, she put on a fox fur cloak and walked outside. Chen, the nursemaid, followed and handed her a handwarmer, saying, “It’s cold outside, be careful not to catch a cold, my lady.”

The snow outside continued to fall, and she stood at the doorway for a while, eyes filled with melancholy. Whether it was from the cold or other reasons, her face became paler.

Chen found it strange but didn’t stop her, standing by her side at the doorway.

After a while, Qin adjusted the fox fur on her shoulders and casually asked, “What is Madam Xie doing at this time?”

Chen replied, “Madam is in the main hall, chatting with the Second Miss and the Third Miss.”

She nodded and asked again, “On such a cold day, isn’t Lord  Xie at home?”

Chen felt a bit odd but didn’t show it on her face. “Master is busy with official matters, and he should be in the study at the moment.”

Why would a concubine of Dongping Wang suddenly be concerned about what her family’s master and mistress were doing? Chen had to be more vigilant, but the rest of Qin’s questions seemed normal, just everyday trivial matters like how Madam Leng usually took care of the child, what she did, and how she interacted with Xie Liqing, etc.

Being a recent mother, it was quite reasonable for her to ask such questions. Chen answered one by one, and she stood by the door for quite a while. Soon, the cold seeped into her body, and she couldn’t help but sneeze a few times.

Chen was about to send someone to fetch a doctor, but Qin said, “My maids are not familiar with Qingzhou. It’s better for you to go, so as not to waste time.”

When the concubine spoke, as a servant, Chen had to comply. She agreed and first sought Madam Leng’s approval before going to the street to find a doctor.

When she returned half an hour later, Qin’s door was tightly closed. The maid guarding the door said, “Our lady has gone to sleep. Please come back tomorrow morning, ma’am.”

Did she catch a cold? Doesn’t she need to see a doctor anymore?

Chen looked puzzled, standing at the door, hesitating. As a servant, she didn’t dare to barge in and disturb the concubine’s sleep, but she was also worried that the concubine’s illness might affect her. After much hesitation, she sighed, turned around, and went to the main hall to tell Madam Leng about the situation.

In the study, the charcoal fire burned vigorously, warming the entire body.

Xie Liqing sat at the raised table, handling official affairs. He reviewed the recent cases of the yamen, organized his thoughts, and noted them down on paper. Looking up, he saw the snowflakes still falling outside the window. A few pieces drifted through the lattice and landed on the raised table, melting in the blink of an eye.

He rubbed his neck, called a servant to bring a cup of tea, drank it, and sat for a while before getting up to leave the study. A servant held up an oiled-paper umbrella for him as he leisurely walked out of the courtyard. After a few steps, he saw a delicate figure ahead.

The slender figure was blurred by the snow, looking even more fragile from a distance.

Approaching, he realized it was Dongping Wang’s concubine, Lady Qin.

Xie Liqing bowed, “Greetings, Concubine Qin.”

Qin asked him to rise, smiling, “I heard from the nursemaid that Lord Xie is still working in the office on such a cold day. It’s really hard work.”

Xie Liqing smiled calmly, “Thanks for your concern, Madam. This official doesn’t feel it’s troublesome.”

The snow showed a trend of getting heavier, goose feathers-like flakes entwining around the two. Xie Liqing, wearing a dark blue robe, had accumulated quite a few snowflakes. Qin Shi raised her hand, intending to brush them off for him, but he skillfully avoided it without leaving a trace.

In his early thirties, Xie Liqing looked much the same as his younger days, but with a few added elements of maturity and composure, making him even more handsome than when he was in his teens.

Qin Shi felt a bit awkward, retracting her hand. She took the snack box from the maid’s hand and said, “I just got some snacks from the kitchen. I noticed there’s a pavilion ahead. If Lord Xie doesn’t mind, would you like to join me there for some snacks?”

Xie Liqing frowned slightly, politely refusing, “This may not be appropriate…”

He just wanted to go back and see his wife, Madam Leng, hug his two adorable daughters, and have a family gathering around the fireplace. It was too cold outside, and he didn’t want to linger or have any connection with the person in front of him.

As he mentioned leaving, Qin Shi followed with teary eyes, “Cousin, do you really have no feelings for me at all?”

Not hearing these words for a long time, Xie Liqing suddenly shivered, and his scalp tightened.

He said, “Madam, you are now the consort of Duke Dongping. We should be cautious with our words.”

Before he could finish speaking, Qin Shi came up to him, tears welling up in her eyes. Her slender body trembled like a fallen leaf in the wind. “Are you still angry with me? Angry that I married Duke and now you treat me so indifferently?”

This was completely unfounded. Xie Liqing had never thought like that. He glanced at the servants on both sides. He sincerely considered Duke Dongping as a friend. If this matter reached Duke Dongping’s ears, how could he face him?

In the end, it could only be blamed on his youthful ignorance.

Qin Shi and he were cousins. Having lost their parents in childhood, she had been living in the Duke Dingguo’s residence. Among the several sons of Duke Dingguo, she had the best relationship with Xie Liqing, the legitimate son. She often followed him, calling him “cousin.”

At that time, Xie Liqing was about fifteen or sixteen years old, the age of first love, and he was also moved. Occasionally, they would exchange a few words when they met privately, but he strictly adhered to the gentleman’s code, never crossing the line.

Just as Xie Liqing was about to confess to his mother about marrying Qin Shi, the selection of a consort for Duke Dongping happened. Qin Shi went with a few girls, and the charms of the palace attracted her. After returning, she couldn’t focus, trying every method to catch the attention of Duke Dongping, eventually becoming a consort in the palace.

Initially, Xie Liqing was truly depressed for a while, but he quickly got over it. Especially after marrying Leng Shi, he understood what true love meant. Now, he had no less affection for Qin Shi, and upon meeting her again, there were no ripples in his heart, let alone deliberately being indifferent to her.

He walked past her and said, “Duke Dongping is a good husband. Madam, you shouldn’t do such things behind his back.”

In her desperation, Qin Shi grabbed his hand, looking pitiful, “You don’t know how he treats me…”

Before Xie Liqing could shake her off, he raised his eyes and happened to see Madam Leng and Xie Zhen standing at the end of the path. Leng Shi was looking at them calmly, while Xie Zhen, wrapped tightly, looked like a small snowball from a distance. She wore a white woolen cloak and a white swan feather hat, and her curious eyes were staring at them from under the hat.

In the middle of winter, Xie Liqing was shocked and immediately shook off Qin Shi’s hand.

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