Chapter 64: Dragon Robe

Ning Yin coldly called her “miss.” This guy recognized her from the beginning but deliberately pretended not to, watching her cover her dance like a clown.

It was as if the last layer of window paper was pierced. Heat rose on Yu Lingxi’s face, and the teacup in her hand, held firmly, also showed ripples. Even the corners of her eyes were dyed a light, charming peach pink. The scenes of the past with lips holding medicine emerged, like a suppressed torrent bursting out, filling her mind in an instant.

Ning Yin appreciated her uncomfortable appearance, his eyes revealing a faintly indifferent mischief. He slowly raised his hand, intending to remove the veil covering her face.

Wearing a veil, how can one offer wine?

Yu Lingxi seemed to wake up and took a step back, the veil brushing past his fingertips, leaving a sensation. As the two courtiers just left, the Flower Tower was bustling with activity, and she wasn’t sure if someone was watching Ning Yin in the shadows. If she revealed her face and identity at this moment, it might lead to unnecessary trouble.

She forgot even the courtesy and hastily turned and ran. Ning Yin’s mouth twitched imperceptibly, but he didn’t stop her.

When the hustle and bustle echoed, Yu Lingxi stopped in the corridor. Suddenly, a group of forbidden army and officials from the Dali Temple rushed into the courtyard. The leader of the forbidden army held a document and ordered, “Routine inspection, everyone go out and line up immediately! Those who do not comply will be dealt with on the spot for obstructing official duties!”

Shouts of surprise erupted, and the Flower Tower, once filled with intoxicating allure, suddenly became chaotic. Yu Lingxi felt strange; this group of forbidden army came too coincidentally. Although officials came monthly for tax inspections at the Flower Tower, it was usually just a formality in the front courtyard, and they wouldn’t search the inner courtyard. After all, the inner courtyard was where the nobles and officials from the court gathered, and no one could afford to offend them… 

When the forbidden army appeared, it was not a routine inspection unless the emperor ordered a strict investigation of officials consorting with courtesans. This was definitely not a simple routine check.

Yu Lingxi focused and saw a familiar face among the forbidden army. Xue Cen? What is he doing here? If she went downstairs now, she would run into the forbidden army. Yu Lingxi chose to hide behind a pillar on the corridor to observe.

Downstairs, the forbidden army kicked doors open and searched, driving out disheveled men and women, gathering them in the courtyard. What kind of people were they searching for with such a display? Yu Lingxi’s heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously turned to look.

Ning Yin, holding the wine cup she had poured earlier, sniffed it lightly, appearing calm and indifferent, as if the commotion downstairs had nothing to do with him. Strange, it’s not because of Ning Yin?

It wasn’t until the rough shouts of the forbidden army abruptly stopped that Xue Cen walked out, facing the surprised gaze of everyone. Though he was barely dressed neatly, his hair crown was still crooked, and strands of hair were scattered around, clearly having enjoyed a “nap” here.

For a moment, the noble sons, some with furrowed brows, others cursing loudly, fell silent. They stared at Xue Cen with strange expressions, their eyes sharp, seemingly wanting to dissect his glamorous appearance. Then, bursts of laughter erupted.

Xue Song led the forbidden army for an inspection but found his own younger brother “consorting with courtesans,” truly a case of “finding trouble in the wrong place.”

“I never expected the upright gentleman Xue Erlang to also linger in such places.”

“Can’t believe it, tsk!”

Xue Cen ignored the comments.

His eyes were red, standing in front of Xue Cen in a daze, as if confirming something. After a while, he called out with a complex expression, “Elder brother…”

Xue Cen’s expression was momentarily spectacular.

Yu Lingxi watched the stiff and embarrassed figure of Xue Cen and felt somewhat surprised. In her impression, although Xue Cen was simple and somewhat foolish, with a touch of scholarly pride, he was not a lustful person.

“The newly congratulated fiance, known for his noble spirit, turns out to be a guest in a courtesan’s bed.” Came the low voice of Ning Yin from behind.

He had walked up to Yu Lingxi without her noticing, his tall shadow enveloping her. “Tsk,” he sighed, “how pitiful.”

Yu Lingxi didn’t need to turn around to know that he must be laughing, a terribly malicious laughter. There’s nothing to feel pitiful about, Yu Lingxi thought; she never cared about him. Ning Yin was originally observing her reaction, trying to discern any hint of regret or anger from her eyes beyond the veil. But Yu Lingxi’s eyes remained clear, without a trace of resentment or gloom. So, the mocking sneer in his eyes faded, making him appear dark and cold.

He was quite dissatisfied with Yu Lingxi’s reaction. However, Yu Lingxi had no time to deal with him or Xue Cen. It was all irrelevant to her; she just wanted to find Hongzhu as soon as possible.

At this moment, Lanchun Pavilion was in chaos, and the courtyard was controlled by the forbidden army, making it the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the confusion. Yu Lingxi took two steps, paused, and finally took a deep breath before descending the stairs. She nodded to Qingxiao, who was waiting in front of the Flower Tower in the front courtyard.

Qingxiao understood, taking advantage of the chaos, he sneaked into the backyard and joined her. Ning Yin stood coldly for a while and then went back to his room, closing the door. 

The qin player was no longer there; instead, there was a young person dressed in a strong outfit, a rather inconspicuous newcomer.

He reported, “As Your Highness planned, that servant girl has already met with Xue Cen.”

“Very good,” Ning Yin said with his hands behind his back.

He had said that he would rather crush Xue Cen’s heart than take his life.

“The girl just now…”

“A cat slipped in; I played with her.”

Seeing Ning Yin loosen up, the person didn’t inquire further, only saying, “I saw that girl heading towards the woodshed earlier. Presumably, she came for that servant girl. Should I stop her and bring her back?”

Ning Yin’s expression slightly changed.

So, she has this trick up her sleeve, hm, quite skilled.

“No need.”

Not only did he not want to stop her, but Ning Yin also wanted to facilitate this.

He wanted Yu Lingxi to witness Xue Erlang being pulled down from his pedestal, falling into the mud. Not only that, he wanted to dissect the seemingly upright facade of the Xue family, overturning bit by bit the childhood friendship and beliefs she protected, trampling them into pieces.

Destruction was always a pleasing act.

Yu Lingxi found Hongzhu hiding in the utility room.

Originally planning to ask her directly, Yu Lingxi was surprised to find that Hongzhu, for some unknown reason, had been crying uncontrollably and was unwilling to cooperate. Unable to risk attracting attention from the guards, Yu Lingxi had to ask Qingxiao to knock her unconscious. Taking advantage of the chaos, they sneaked her out through a side door without anyone noticing.

Soon, Qing Lan brought Tang Buli out.

Tang Buli, having just given Chen Jian a beating, his two mustaches were knocked off, chose not to ride in Yu Lingxi’s carriage but instead rode back to his mansion on her own horse. Yu Lingxi was uneasy, so she asked Qing Lan to follow at a distance, ensuring Tang Buli’s safe return home.

Before the carriage reached the Yu mansion, the unconscious Hongzhu woke up. Opening her eyes and seeing herself on Yu Lingxi’s carriage, she stared for a moment, then tried to jump off the carriage.

“Let me go back! Let me go back…”

Those people said she could only survive by being obedient. If she tried to escape, there would be no way out but death. Hongzhu mumbled something incoherent, and Yu Lingxi couldn’t make out the words. She had to let Qingxiao hold her down.

“Don’t be afraid. Since I brought you out, I will do my best to protect you,” Yu Lingxi reassured her in a slow and comforting tone. “I just want to know what happened the day before Zhao Yuming’s death.”

Hongzhu just shook her head. “Is Second Miss also here for the Xue family? The servant knows that you and Young Master Xue have been promised in marriage, and you are on the same path as the Xue family.”

“Also?” Yu Lingxi hesitated. “Has anyone else asked you about this?”

Hongzhu sniffed, unwilling to speak.

Yu Lingxi understood and leaned against the carriage wall, changing her posture. “Since others have already asked you, it means this secret is no longer safe. You have lost your value. If you, the Yu family, don’t hold on to this last straw, believe me, if I leave you on the roadside now, the real culprit will kill you in the next moment.”

With this analysis, Hongzhu immediately trembled.

“I’ll talk! I’ll talk! I beg Miss Second not to abandon me!”

Hongzhu hastily knelt down. “Before Second Miss arrived, I was ordered to deliver tea to the room. I bumped into Young Master Xue. I thought he came for… that matter, so in a moment of panic, I told him everything.”

She kept mentioning the Xue family, giving Yu Lingxi an uneasy premonition. Without revealing any concern, she asked, “What did you tell him?”

“I told him about Miss’s… affairs before her death.”

Hongzhu twisted her coarse sleeve and choked out, “On that day, when Miss returned to the waterside pavilion, she saw Second Miss being intimate with a guard. She wanted to… go to the Xue mansion to expose Miss Second’s improper relationship with a servant, hoping to make Young Master Xue give up the idea of marrying Second Miss. But the Xue mansion is strictly guarded, and Miss couldn’t get in. She could only wait outside with me. When Young Master Xue came out, we followed him and planned to expose the matter at that moment.”

“What happened next?”

“Later, we waited for nearly two hours before a carriage from the Xue mansion appeared. Miss heard someone in the carriage being called ‘Young Master Xue,’ so she followed without hesitation. Our carriage lagged behind, and when we caught up with Young Master Xue’s carriage, he had already entered the store at the Immortal City. Miss followed him upstairs…”

Recalling everything from that day, Hongzhu couldn’t stop trembling.

“But, the Xue mansion has two young masters, and we followed the wrong person. In the room, it was Eldest Young Master Xue and a fair, mild young man discussing matters. Eldest Young Master Xue respectfully addressed that person as ‘Commander Cui,’ and mentioned something about ‘disaster relief grain.’ I stood far away and couldn’t hear clearly, only saw Miss’s face change…”

With those words, Hongzhu shed tears. “Then, Miss was discovered.”

Hearing this, Yu Lingxi felt as if a heavy hammer had struck her heart.

The eldest young master of the Xue family was naturally Xue Song, and “Commander Cui” was presumably the eunuch who controlled military power after his father, Cui An.

When Zhao Yuming died, there was no issue with the disaster relief grain. Therefore, their discussion in advance could only mean they were plotting against Yu Huanchen.

Only the Ministry of Revenue could switch the relief grain without anyone noticing.

Unfortunately, relying on memories from her past life, Yu Lingxi had only identified Wang Lingqing, the Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, but didn’t expect that the Left Assistant Minister, Xue Song, was also in league with Cui An.

So, it turned out that the Xue family wasn’t as loyal and impartial as rumored?

“So, did Young Master Xue kill your Miss?” Yu Lingxi’s voice lowered.

“I don’t know. When Young Master Xue discovered Miss eavesdropping, he wasn’t angry at all. He even politely invited her inside for tea.”

Hongzhu said, “I don’t know what they talked about inside, but after Miss came out, she looked troubled. Later… later…”

Everyone knew what happened later. Zhao Yuming died from poisoning, succumbing to the “Hundred Flowers Poison” that had taken Yu Lingxi’s life in her past life.

So, the person who wanted to poison Ning Yin using her body in her past life… was Xue Song?

Why?

For two lifetimes, the Xue family used their close relationship with the Yu family to secretly harm her elder brother and Ning Yin. Were they really upholding some kind of orthodox morality, or did they have ulterior motives? In her past life, the downfall of the Xue family had reasons, and now, each piece of evidence connected, weaving a terrifying truth.

Yu Lingxi discreetly settled Hongzhu in a separate courtyard without anyone noticing.

Needing to personally confirm something, she thought for a moment and brought a substantial gift to visit Xue Cen.

The news of Xue Cen’s visit to the Flower Pavilion had already spread in the capital. If it were an ordinary man enjoying some romantic adventures, it might not matter. However, being born into a strict and prestigious family with deep-rooted traditions, damaging the family’s reputation would lead to punishment according to family rules.

Therefore, when Yu Lingxi paid a visit, she found Xue Cen kneeling upright in the ancestral hall, repenting before the ancestors. From his pale complexion, it was evident that he had been kneeling for quite a long time.

Upon seeing Yu Lingxi, Xue Cen’s originally bloodless face turned even paler, and a hint of self-blame and guilt appeared on his normally calm expression.

His body swayed, and Yu Lingxi immediately said, “Don’t move.”

Xue Cen shook his head, still enduring the almost numb pain in his knees, slowly moving towards Yu Lingxi, bowing deeply.

“Sorry, Second Sister.”

His voice, unlike its usual clarity, now sounded hoarse and heavy like sandpaper. “I was careless for a moment, I’m sorry for what happened to you…”

“It’s okay, you don’t need to feel guilty.”

Yu Lingxi poured him a cup of tea and said in a gentle tone, “I have always regarded you as an elder brother. If you are ordered to marry in the future, I won’t stop you from taking concubines.”

Xue Cen’s shoulders trembled.

She said “if you get married,” she said she wouldn’t stop him from taking concubines. This gentle tolerance, however, felt like a sharp knife stabbing into his heart.

Only if there’s no love can one be so indifferent!

When he raised his head again, Xue Cen’s eyes were unexpectedly red. He had many things he wanted to confess and argue, but when he moved his throat, only a hoarse word came out, “Okay.”

He felt tainted now.

I’m not qualified to request Second Sister’s pity. If it weren’t for the marriage bestowed upon us, which concerns the survival of two families, he should have hung himself with a white silk last night, cleanly departing with his love for Second Sister.

“In the future, Second Sister can also do whatever she wants, and I… won’t stop you.”

Xue Cen turned his face away and said with difficulty. Yu Lingxi was genuinely surprised; what did Xue Cen mean by this?

Before she could fully grasp the meaning, a deliberate low cough came from behind. Turning around, Yu Lingxi narrowed her eyes: it was Xue Song. Just as she was figuring out how to approach him discreetly, he walked in on his own.

In terms of appearance and talent, Xue Song was nowhere near as outstanding as Xue Cen. Silent and refined, he was inconspicuous in a crowd, not appearing like a villain.

“Eldest Brother.”

“Second Miss.”

The two greeted each other, and Xue Song turned to Xue Cen, “Grandfather ordered me to come and ask what happened last night. Do you have…”

Considering Yu Lingxi’s presence, Xue Song didn’t speak too explicitly.

“I don’t know.”

Xue Cen glanced at the quiet and gentle girl beside him, seemingly weighing something. After a while, he said, “Eldest Brother should go check on other princes.”

Hearing this, Yu Lingxi’s heart tightened.

Among the remaining princes, no one dared to investigate the Crown Prince, and the Third Prince was mentally disabled. The only one left to investigate was… wasn’t it just Prince Ning Yin?

What was Xue Cen implying with these words?

“Take responsibility for your mistakes, don’t shift the blame.”

Xue Song spoke seriously, his expression unchanged. He continued, “The prince is still a prince, with the capital to indulge in worldly pleasures, and no one dares to interfere. It’s not like you, Ah Cen, who is the highly expected legitimate grandson.”

With seemingly ordinary words, Xue Song made Xue Cen and Yu Lingxi simultaneously uneasy.

Yu Lingxi wasn’t foolish. In just a few words, she could deduce that Xue Song was indeed keeping an eye on Ning Yin. Otherwise, how would he be so well-informed about Ning Yin’s activities in the pleasure quarters?

The words she hadn’t managed to extract were inadvertently brought out by Xue Cen. Indeed, Xue Cen was also suspicious of Xue Song. However, unaware that Hongzhu had already fallen into the hands of Yu Lingxi, he did not avoid the topic, thinking that Yu Lingxi couldn’t discern the secret within.

Yu Lingxi had a complex expression, found a reason to excuse herself, and hurriedly returned to her residence. She didn’t hesitate and immediately conveyed Hongzhu’s words verbatim to her brother.

Yu Huanchen was greatly surprised and personally interrogated Hongzhu again. After obtaining the answers, his heroic sword-like eyebrows twisted into a knot. “No wonder the matter of the Seventh Prince’s whereabouts, which the Yu family investigated secretly, reached the Emperor so quickly. I suspected many people, but never suspected the two families that have been friends for decades. This friendship ultimately became the leverage used against us…”

In this light, the arranged marriage between the two families was also a trap, slowly consuming the Yu family.

The more he spoke, the darker his expression became. He wiped his face and said to Yu Lingxi, “Don’t worry, I will report to Father and discuss countermeasures.”

With Yu Huanchen’s words, half of the heavy burden in Yu Lingxi’s heart finally fell off. She didn’t stop; both she and Ning Yin were still caught in the whirlpool.

Yu Lingxi had speculated that Hongzhu might be the work of Ning Yin. Still, Ning Yin didn’t have memories from his past life. He didn’t know that Zhao Yuming and the Yu family were just obstacles in front of Xue Song. The real target threatening Xue Song’s position was Ning Yin.

In both lifetimes, the ending could not be repeated. She needed to find a way to inform Ning Yin.

After some contemplation, Yu Lingxi went to the street and bought a prayer lamp. She carefully drew a “Children Hiding Picture” on the lamp paper and wrote two apt verses: “Embracing the head, hearing the language from the north, hiding under the flowers where no one is around.”

The two verses could be disassembled according to the directions to form two characters: “警” (Beware) and “薛” (Xue).

Beware of the Xue family.

For safety, she made it a bit obscure. But with Ning Yin’s intelligence, he should be able to figure it out. After completing all of this, Yu Lingxi had the coachman turn the carriage and made a detour to the Tang Mansion.

Outside the Tang residence, a large crowd had gathered. Yu Lingxi entered through the main gate and heard Tang Buli scoff, “It’s nothing. I just had my engagement broken off.”

“Broken off?” Yu Lingxi frowned.

Tang Buli explained: Because she had caught Chen Jian consorting with a courtesan last night, she was furious and publicly lashed Chen Jian over a dozen times. Unable to bear the disgrace, the Chen family, taking advantage of her family’s lack of male support, accused her of “being wilful and unreasonable, breaching womanly virtues,” and annulled the engagement.

Although the fault clearly lay with the man, once an engagement was broken off, it destroyed the girl’s reputation.

Yu Lingxi fell silent, feeling sorry for Tang Buli and regretting the trouble she had caused her at such a time.

“Isn’t it just delivering an invitation to the Seventh Prince on your behalf?” Tang Buli, upon hearing Yu Lingxi’s intention, graciously waved her hand. “It’s a small effort.”

Yu Lingxi knew that Tang Buli, the Princess of Qingping, was someone with a strong personality. She wouldn’t show her bitterness openly. She presented the blood ginseng and longevity pills for Tang’s elderly grandmother and whispered, “I can’t meet the Seventh Prince or let anyone know about my connection with him. Therefore, this invitation can only be sent out under the pretext of the Tang family.”

Tang Buli replied, “No problem. However, the Seventh Prince is quite reclusive, rarely seen in public. He may not bother to read our invitation.”

Thinking of the quiet night during the Qiqiao festival, Yu Lingxi smiled and lowered her head. “Let’s take a gamble.”

She had no other choice but to proceed with the plan, even if it meant mentioning past events with a thick skin. Yu Lingxi handed the invitation and prayer lamp to Tang Buli, entrusting her with the task.

Now was not the time for the Qiqiao or the Lantern Festival. Tang Buli found Yu Lingxi’s act of giving a lamp quite puzzling. However, without asking further, she promptly instructed the steward to arrange everything.

“Thank you,” Yu Lingxi bowed in appreciation.

Tang Buli chuckled, pinching Yu Lingxi’s cheek. “Silly Sui Sui! Between us sisters, why talk about politeness?”

Yu Lingxi smiled back.

After a while, she earnestly said, “Ah Buli, you deserve someone better.”

On the way back to her residence, Yu Lingxi lifted the curtain of the carriage and said to Qingxiao, “Help me investigate someone named Zhou Yunqing. Yun represents accumulation, Qing represents a poor scholar preparing for the imperial examination next year.”

She added, “If you find him, provide assistance in the name of the Princess of Qingping, and be sincere and kind to him.”

According to her memories from her past life, Zhou Yunqing, a sub-inspector in the Grand Court of Revision, was an outstanding figure among the rising stars at the court and also the right-hand man of Ning Yin.

Such a person had great potential, and there were no rumors about any unsavory habits, making him much more reliable than Chen Jian. Yu Lingxi hoped that he could remember the kindness shown by Tang Buli and support her in the future.

…

As night fell, the chilling autumn wind blew, and the stars and moon were concealed.

Ning Yin, wearing a purple robe, stood in the corridor, enjoying the melodious singing of the beautiful birds in the cage.

The birds were tethered with delicate gold chains on their feet. Ning Yin, with his long black hair draped over his shoulders, watching the birds to flutter before being ruthlessly pulled back by the chains, finding joy in this repetitive action.

A eunuch reported, “Your Highness, this afternoon, someone from the Tang Mansion sent an invitation and a prayer lamp.”

Ning Yin, uninterested in dealing with people, usually didn’t bother with invitations. However, since the eunuch had reported it directly, there must be something special.

“How is the message conveyed?”

Ning Yin didn’t turn around, and his voice remained lazy and harmless.

The eunuch reported, “There is only one sentence: ‘Everything goes as planned, and peace is constant every year.’”

Ning Yin, still nonchalant, said, “Bring it over, let me have a look.”

The eunuch promptly brought the invitation and prayer lamp. The handwriting on the invitation was elegant and familiar. The pen strokes were sharp and pale, indicating a resilient pen that did not absorb ink, likely not written with goat hair or wolf hair brushes.

Ning Yin recognized this pen, considering every strand of hair was carefully picked from his own head. He chuckled, closing the invitation and tossing it aside with a snap, startling the eunuch who retreated.

The unopened prayer lamp lay on the table, somewhat ironic, reminding him of various past events.

After standing for a while, Ning Yin lost interest in watching the birds and walked over to pick up the prayer lamp. The lamp paper depicted an illustration of a child hiding under a flower tree, looking cautious, as if playing hide-and-seek with a companion.

Beside it were two sentences: “Embracing the head, hearing the language from the north, hiding under the flowers where no one is around.”

Contemplating these two sentences, Ning Yin squinted his eyes.

Is this all?

The Seventh Prince was quite dissatisfied. Was all this trouble just to remind him of this?

He would have considered treating her more gently if she had written a lengthy apology letter. After all, he was someone who held grudges. He took a candlestick, lit the prayer lamp, and the flame reflected in his dark eyes fluctuated.

Releasing the lantern, it slowly rose from the eaves. A gust of wind came, and the lamp struggled for a moment before being blown into holes by the wind, turning into black ashes that fell, leaving no trace of the bamboo frame.

“Good wind.”

Ning Yin praised, his eyes filled with elegant madness.

He couldn’t wait any longer. He intended to use this wind to send a big gift to the Crown Prince.

…

Hongzhu’s appearance made the father and son of the Yu family see many things clearly, forcing them to re-examine their relationship with the Xue family. For several consecutive days, Yu Yuan and his eldest son and daughter discussed matters in the study until late at night.

“If the Xue family is really playing both sides, and we become hostages forever after marrying in, it won’t work!” argued Yu Xinyi.

Yu Huanchen’s expression was solemn. “The Emperor’s marriage decree is not as simple as you think.”

Yu Xinyi anxiously said, “This won’t work, that won’t work. What do you suggest then?”

Before they could come up with a strategy, Qingxiao arrived in a hurry, knocking on the door. “Young General, urgent news from the palace!”

Urgent news from the palace meant trouble in the Eastern Palace. A fire broke out in the storage, and due to the northwest wind, it was spreading towards the imperial palace.

The Emperor ordered Yu Huanchen and Cui An to lead the Forbidden Army to jointly fight the fire. Unexpectedly, during this rescue mission, they salvaged something extraordinary—

In the Crown Prince’s storage were fine bows and armor, as well as a set of dazzling dragon robe and coronet.

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