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Chapter 32: Encounter

Xie Rong stood at the entrance of Duke Ding’s Mansion to welcome them. He had grown into an outstanding young man, tall, upright, mature, and steady.

In his impression, he has always stood silently behind his two younger sisters, clearing obstacles for them and silently watching them grow. He has become more reserved than before, only softening his expression when facing Xie Zhen and Xie Xian.

Yan Yu quietly watches until Xie Zhen gathers her skirt and ascends the steps, rushing into his embrace.

She coquettishly buries herself in his arms. Despite being such a grown-up girl, she still shows a childish expression. Tilted her head up, she says something to him with eyes full of laughter, soft and sweet. Just looking from a distance can make one feel warm from the bottom of their heart.

Yan Yu’s grip on the sachet gradually relaxes as he approaches, watching her while gently stroking the patterns on the sachet.

When they were young, she was always half a head taller than him. Now it seems that he finally has a chance to turn the tide. He tightens the reins, wanting to ride closer. He takes two steps and then stops.

What should he say after they meet? How should he explain his identity? He didn’t fulfill the promise initially. He clearly said he would take her to another courtyard to fly kites, but it didn’t happen. Does she know he didn’t come? How long has she been waiting?

Yan Yu looks at the entrance of Duke Ding’s Mansion, but he never takes another step forward.

Xie Zhen follows Xie Rong, holding Xie Xian’s hand, taking a few quick steps and entering the courtyard. She smiles and talks to Xie Xian. From a distance, her facial features are not clear, but her sincere smile seems to gather the beauty of spring.

Why did she come to the capital? And why is she the fifth miss of Duke Ding’s Mansion?

As people walk farther, they can no longer be seen.

Yan Yu stands still at the entrance of Duke Ding’s Mansion for a long time, unmoving. Passersby can’t help but glance curiously, but he seems oblivious. Until the twilight on the western horizon, as the sun sets behind the mountains, he finally tightens the reins again, turns the horse’s head, and leaves.

He has not yet built a mansion outside the palace and still resides in the Qingjia Palace within the palace grounds. Apart from him, there are the Fifth Prince and the Seventh Prince in the palace. The other imperial brothers have already established their residences outside and seldom stay overnight in the palace.

Yan Yu resides in the Chen Shan Courtyard in the middle section of the Qingjia Palace. After his return, he had someone lead the horse back to the stable, while he went to the study, where he sat for the entire night.

During the night, eunuch Yuan Quan entered several times and found him sitting in the circle chair, not changing his posture at all. His eyes were fixed on the desk, where there was a gold-threaded sachet, obviously something belonging to a young lady. Yuan Quan widened his eyes in surprise. Since when has his master been interested in women’s belongings? It’s unbelievable. Could it be that he’s having a change of heart?

Yuan Quan carried tea and snacks, placing them on the desk. “Your Highness, you haven’t eaten since you came back. How about having some pastries to fill your stomach?”

Only then did Yan Yu move, reaching out to hold the sachet in his palm as if treating it like a treasure. “Take it away. I’m not eating.”

Yuan Quan expressed concern, “Not eating anything won’t do…”

He didn’t respond, seemingly lost in thought again.

Yuan Quan couldn’t help but be curious and asked delicately, “Your Highness, is this…”

He remained silent.

Gathering courage, Yuan Quan continued, “Was this sent to you by a young lady?”

He stood up abruptly, startling Yuan Quan, who thought he might be angry. Just as Yuan Quan was about to apologize, he swiftly walked outside, leaving him unsure of where he was headed.

*

Yan Yu stayed awake the entire night and, as soon as dawn broke, went to the Yongping Hall where Princess Heyi resided.

Inside, Yan Yao’an had just gotten up and was having a meal alone. Seeing him come in, she quickly instructed the palace maids to prepare another set of utensils. “Why is Sixth Brother here so early?” she asked. Then, remembering something good he did yesterday, she stretched out her hand and placed it in front of him. “Give me back the sachet.”

Yan Yu sat down without changing his expression. “I threw it away.”

Yan Yao’an instantly became angry. That was her stuff, why did he have the right to throw it away? She even decided not to let him have breakfast, waving him away, “Get out, don’t let me see you!”

When she says to leave, she means it, regardless of whether he’s her brother. She has been accustomed to being assertive since childhood, not polite to anyone, a true domineering character.

However, Yan Yu remained steady, as if he hadn’t heard her words. “Tomorrow is the Shangsi Festival. How do you plan to spend it?”

Thinking he was changing the subject, Yan Yao’an snorted, “Why do you care how I spend it?”

Every year she spent it in the palace, washing her hands and handkerchief by the water’s edge, with no significance at all. She actually wanted to go out of the palace for a round, but how could that be easy? Who would take her out?

Coincidentally, Yan Yu seemed to know what she was thinking. He lowered his eyes and said, “I will leave the palace tomorrow. I can take you out with me.”

She was immediately delighted, not even bothering about the sachet anymore. She stood up and asked eagerly, “Really? Is Father willing? When do we leave?”

Yan Yu thought for a moment. “Tomorrow morning.” He added, “I will inform Father. If it’s for the purpose of offering sacrifices to avert disasters, he shouldn’t object.”

Yan Yao’an was overjoyed. Her attitude towards him immediately became respectful. She began planning the itinerary for the next day, “Sixth Brother, where are we going tomorrow?”

Being confined in the palace for too long without going out, she felt like she was released and was full of excitement.

In the past, Yan Yu would definitely not have taken her out. After all, he found it bothersome. But this time was different; he needed her to accompany him to divert attention. He said, “Anywhere you want.” Then he added, “I need to make a stop at Duke Ding’s Mansion on the way. You’d better find someone to accompany us. It’s good to have someone to look out for us in case of any accidents on the road.”

Since he mentioned Duke Ding’s Mansion, the first person Yan Yao’an thought of was Xie Zhen. As expected, she said, “I’ll find someone to come with us. Will Sixth Brother send someone to protect us?”

Yan Yu paused and nodded.

After speaking, she suddenly remembered something. Mysteriously, she approached Yan Yu and asked with a playful expression, “Why did you react so strongly when I mentioned Xie Xian yesterday? Does Sixth Brother know her?”

He turned his head, half-truthfully said, “I knew her brother, Xie Rong, in the early years. Haven’t seen him for many years, just wanted to confirm if it’s them.”

Yan Yao’an was easily convinced and immediately believed, “Did you see them? Is it really them?”

He nodded and confirmed.

Yan Yao’an smiled enthusiastically, “That’s great! Tomorrow, I’ll call them out, and you can catch up.”

He didn’t say anything but didn’t object either.

*

On the third day of the third month, the Shangsi Festival, everyone would go to the river to purify themselves and ward off illness.

Wealthy families bathed in orchid pool at home, while ordinary people went to the river to cleanse themselves, ward off illness, and disasters. Some literati, scholars, and noble descendants liked to have waterside banquets with flowing wine. This day was exceptionally lively; every household came to the streets. Even the girls who rarely left their homes all went out together for an outing.

Yan Yao’an had heard about the lively scene outside the palace but hadn’t had a chance to see it herself.

Now, with the Emperor’s permission and accompanied by Sixth Brother, she finally had the opportunity. Early in the morning, without needing an invitation, she spontaneously prepared everything and waited in the Yongping Hall.

Before long, Yan Yu’s subordinate, the young eunuch Yuan Quan, came to summon her, “Princess, you can set off now.”

She leaped up and rushed out.

Outside the hall, there was a yellow boxwood carriage, obviously Yan Yu’s. Without assistance, she stepped onto the carriage, joyfully shouted, “Let’s go.”

The carriage slowly moved out of the palace gate, heading towards Duke Dingguo’s residence.

Arriving at the entrance of Duke Dingguo’s residence, Yan Yu got off the carriage and stood in front of the vermilion gate for a while before taking steps forward. The gatekeeper, upon learning their identity, cautiously asked them to wait in the hall and quickly brought Duke Dingguo and the elderly lady.

Duke Dingguo had no idea they would come and hurried to kneel down for a greeting.

Yan Yu helped them up and got straight to the point, “Is the second young master, Xie Rong, at home?”

Duke Dingguo regretfully replied, “He just left.”

Hearing this, Princess Heyi couldn’t wait and asked, “Are the fifth and seventh young ladies here? Can you let them come out? I want to take them out for a walk.”

Duke Dingguo shook his head for the same reason, “Your Highness, they are not at home either. The three children went out together. Today is the Shangsi Festival, and Rong’er probably took them to the waterside for an outing.”

Disappointed, Yan Yao’an asked, “Do you know where they went?”

Duke Dingguo hurriedly sent someone to inquire at the Courtyard. Shortly after, the servant returned, informing them that Xie Rong had taken Xie Zhen and Xie Xian to play at Mingqiu Lake. Mingqiu Lake was outside the city, about two or three miles away, not too far. The carriage could reach there in about fifteen minutes.

Yan Yao’an thanked and turned to leave to head to Mingqiu Lake.

Before getting on the carriage, she asked Yan Yu, “Sixth Brother, what about you?”

Yan Yu said, “Since Xie Rong is there too, I’ll go with you.”

Yan Yao’an didn’t think much and nodded happily.

So, the two of them boarded the carriage together, heading towards Mingqiu Lake outside the city. Leaving the city, the number of pedestrians decreased, and the carriage moved smoothly. Coupled with Yan Yao’an’s urging, they arrived faster than usual.

Mingqiu Lake had mountains on one side and water on the other, with beautiful scenery, making it a perfect place for an outing.

There were many men and women by the lakeside, with the majority of women wearing veiled hats, making it impossible to see their faces. At first glance, it was like finding a needle in a haystack, and there was no sign of Xie Zhen and Xie Xian.

Yan Yao’an never expected so many people and was momentarily stunned, “How are we going to find them?”

Feeling a bit overwhelmed, she thought about giving up; after all, it seemed like an immense task.

Yan Yu asked her to stay put, surveyed the surroundings, and then said, “I’ll go look for them.”

Without waiting for Yan Yao’an to object, he had already disappeared into the crowd.

Mingqiu Lake was an excellent place for leisure, attracting many visitors on regular days. Today, the crowd was even larger. Many girls were playfully splashing water by the lake, and laughter echoed from a distance. Even if their veiled hats got wet, they didn’t mind. It was the only opportunity in the year for indulgence, and nobody wanted to miss it.

He walked along the lakeshore for a while, encountering many people on the way, but none of them was the one he wanted to see.

Just as he was about to turn back, he suddenly heard a soft urging voice, “Hurry up!”

He turned and looked in the direction of the voice.

At a distance from the lakeshore, near the edge of the woods, under a few tall camphor trees, stood a girl in a pink dress and a white silk and gauze skirt. She wore a veil, held another girl’s hand, and a breeze in the woods lifted the light veil in front of her, revealing a smooth chin and slightly raised pink lips.

Yan Yu turned around, and in his ink-black eyes, only she remained.

Her identity was unquestionable because on the other side of the carriage was Xie Rong.

Xie Zhen took two steps forward, eagerly saying, “Ah Xian, come with me.”

Xie Xian followed slowly, “Sister, walk slower, I can’t keep up.”

She had found a small deer in the woods, lying in the grass sleeping. She didn’t disturb it but came back to tell Xie Xian, wanting her sister to come and see with her. However, she was so focused on looking back at Xie Xian that she didn’t even realize her veil was hanging on a tree branch. With a gentle pull, the hat fell from her head.

Before the maid could stop her, in an instant, the black hair flowed down, revealing an exceptionally beautiful face.

She was stunned, about to bend down to pick up the veil, when Yan Yao’an appeared from somewhere, shouting from a distance, “Ah Zhen, Ah Xian!”

Suddenly, all eyes were drawn to them.

Xie Zhen looked in the direction of the voice, and Yan Yao’an stood in the crowd, with a few guards and palace maids behind her, as if afraid that others wouldn’t know her noble status. Unexpectedly meeting her here, Xie Zhen was a bit surprised. After regaining her composure, she put the veil back on her head and walked towards her.

“Yao’an, why are you here?”

Yan Yu was standing not far from Yan Yao’an. Xie Zhen walked straight past him, not even giving him a glance.

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