Stepping out of the study, the cold wind stirred the stray hairs at Nan Yuan'er's temples, letting them brush against her eyes, tangling with her long, dark, thick lashes.
The biting, bone-chilling cold seemed to freeze the moisture in Nan Yuan'er's eyes into ice.
Nan Yujin walked behind Nan Yuan'er, watching her back straighten bit by bit. He felt as if an unseen force was holding her up, her posture far from the feigned delicacy she displayed in the study.
Leaving the study, they made their way to the courtyard. Nan Yuan'er had a maid fetch the key to her private treasury. She packed the five thousand taels of silver, released from the four shops at the end of the year, into chests. Five thousand taels filled two chests, each half as tall as a person.
Once the servants had pushed the chests out, Nan Yuan'er turned and handed over the ledger the maid had copied that day. "Five thousand taels of silver, not a cent more, not a cent less."
During her time in the study, Nan Yujin had expected her to be resistant, perhaps to slow down her actions or create some kind of scene to disgust her father and herself. But Nan Yuan'er was now surprisingly cooperative, almost inexplicably so.
Nan Yujin took the ledger and quickly scanned it, reading line after line. Had her readiness to comply been a ploy, perhaps some manipulation of the accounts?
"If my elder brother is concerned, he may invite the family's accountant to verify it," Nan Yuan'er said.
A light laugh echoed from above. Nan Yujin looked up, his gaze falling upon Nan Yuan'er's face, her smile still lingering. A touch of red still graced the skin beneath her lower eyelids, perhaps from the cold, her cheeks dusted with a delicate pink. Her eyes held a hint of mockery. She was like a snow lotus blooming in the depths of winter. Nan Yujin had never understood why the esteemed gentlemen of the capital were so infatuated with Nan Yuan'er. But at this very moment, he began to grasp it.
Why had Nan Yuan'er's superficial beauty become so vibrant after she became disabled?
Just fifteen minutes ago, hadn't she appeared so frail and helpless? How could she seem to possess a new soul within her body the moment she stepped out of the study?
Nan Yujin suppressed his surprise and confusion. He closed the ledger. After all, if there were any problems with the accounts, she would be the one to suffer. Without further inspection, he said to Nan Yuan'er, "I trust you won't be foolish in such matters. Let's go. Have the servants in your courtyard first move these two chests of silver to the main gate. You will accompany me to the inner treasury."
"Alright."
Nan Yuan'er readily agreed, and the two headed to the inner courtyard to pack another five thousand taels of silver into chests.
"Rumble, rumble~"
The gatekeeper heard the sound of wheels approaching from behind and quickly turned his head. Seeing the young master and young lady walking at the forefront, his heart finally settled a little.
Thank goodness, he thought, he wouldn't have to worry about being dragged out and beheaded by the royal guards.
"Young Master, Fourth Miss."
The gatekeeper hurried forward, bowing to them both.
Nan Yujin waved his hand at him. "That's enough, open the gate!"
The gatekeeper's eyes widened in shock. "Open the gate? But young master, outside..."
"I told you to open the gate!"
Nan Yujin offered no explanation, nor did he feel the need to explain anything to a mere gatekeeper. Seeing Nan Yujin's stern tone, the gatekeeper dared not say another word. He ran to the gate, pulling back the bolt. The South Residence's main gate creaked open from within, and Nan Yujin strode out first.
"They're coming, they're coming!"
Seeing figures finally emerge from the South Residence, a stir rippled through the crowd. The common folk perked up, their eyes gleaming with excitement. Some even regretted not bringing some melon seeds or roasted nuts to stuff into their pockets.
Such a dramatic show, it would be a shame to eat nothing.
Li Hao heard the gate open behind him and turned to see Nan Yujin and Nan Yuan'er emerge. His expression immediately darkened.
Just as he feared, Nan Yujin and Nan Yuan'er, one having lost her mother, the other her brother, and both at odds with the empress – for Lord Nan to have them handle this matter, wasn't that just fanning the flames?
As he pondered this, Nan Yujin and Nan Yuan'er reached him. Nan Yujin clasped his hands in a bow, expressing his gratitude. "Thank you, sir. I apologize for the trouble."
"It is my duty," Li Hao replied stiffly, not accepting Nan Yujin's thanks.
Nan Yuan'er smiled. "Even so, it warrants a thank you."
As she spoke, she gave Li Hao a slight bow.
"You are too kind."
Li Hao shifted slightly, not fully accepting her bow, but his worries lessened considerably.
These two did not seem to be reckless individuals disregarding the bigger picture.
"Young Master Nan, Miss Nan, Lord Nan is in the residence. It would be best for Lord Nan to handle this matter himself," Li Hao reminded them tactfully.
Nan Yuan'er shook her head, disagreeing with his suggestion. "Sir, setting aside right and wrong for a moment, the royal household has only sent a single guard. If my father were to personally intervene, he would likely be ridiculed by scholars across the land."
Nan Yujin was slightly taken aback. If Nan Yuan'er hadn't mentioned it, he wouldn't have even considered this aspect.
Indeed, even though his father had been demoted to Censorate Minister, he was still a high-ranking official of the third rank. If he rushed to resolve the issue merely because a guard from the royal household had come to demand an explanation, it would be an insult to all scholars in the realm. For a dignified court official to lower himself to the same level as a dog from the royal household, the spit of scholars alone would be enough to drown his father.
Although Nan Yujin vaguely understood his father's intentions, he hadn't considered the perspective of all scholars. He glanced at Nan Yuan'er, who had resumed her delicate demeanor, and his heart sank.
Since Nan Yuan'er became disabled, she had been nearly hysterical, with frequent sounds of things being smashed and screams of anguish echoing from her courtyard. Even before leaving the study today, Nan Yujin had believed Nan Yuan'er was ruined, not just her hands, but her entire being.
She had become both foolish and sharp-tongued.
But after leaving the study, she had changed. Even now, as she resumed this delicate appearance, cloaked in a facade of fragility, the feeling was different. Before, she was like a white lotus, her affected demeanor easily seen through. Now, she was like a jasmine flower swaying in the wind, delicate in appearance but resilient at heart.
A warning bell sounded in Nan Yujin's mind. He had a strange premonition that the current Nan Yuan'er would be a hundred times more difficult to deal with than her former self.
Li Hao was slightly taken aback. He clearly hadn't considered this point either, and hearing Nan Yuan'er speak, he found some logic in her words.
"Indeed, I was too presumptuous just now. However..."
"Please rest assured, sir. We are here to resolve the issue, not to increase the conflict," Nan Yuan'er interrupted Li Hao with a smile. Deep disdain and mockery hid in her eyes, but her face was amiable.
Hearing her say this, Li Hao stopped speaking and stepped aside, clearing the path.