Her eyes were wide open, her breath shallow, wanting to know the answer yet afraid to.
Jiang Wan looked at the talisman water on the ground and knew there was no turning back. She coldly looked at the pained Lin Yanxi and replied, "Yes, at least for these past ten-odd years of your foolishness, the household has been peaceful, and you have also lived well."
Lin Yanxi huddled in Shen Muzhou's embrace, small and delicate, with a sense of brokenness surrounding her.
The moment she heard the answer, her heart turned to ash. She fiercely closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they were scarlet.
Her voice trembling, she asked, "Lived well? You call becoming an idiot, being toyed with in the palm of others' hands, and having your family destroyed as living well?"
Jiang Wan's expression faltered. "What family destroyed are you talking about? Your sister Lin Yuan did some harmful things to you. Don't forget I am your mother. Would I harm you?"
"Everything I've done is for your own good, for your consideration."
Tears welled up in Lin Yanxi's eyes, but a tragic smile curved her lips. Disappointment and anger gradually climbed into her slightly red eyes.
"For my good? Tell me, what is for my good! Why did you choose my life for me? Why!"
"For your good," Jiang Wan had said this countless times.
She was tired of hearing it. So, choosing her life for her was considered "for her good."
It was as if all the harm she had suffered was brushed aside with a casual sentence. She didn't know if this sentence was meant to comfort her, or if her mother used it to whitewash herself.
Jiang Wan was questioned to the point of speechlessness. She stood rigidly in place with a stern face.
Lin Yanxi's expression was cold, and her eyes were filled with disappointment as she looked at Jiang Wan. Her eyelids flickered, and a tear traced a path down her cheek.
"Take me away."
She nestled in Shen Muzhou's embrace, his broad chest making her appear incredibly petite. Her voice was filled with weariness.
Shen Muzhou looked down at the little person in his arms, finding her to be crystal clear, like a fragile piece of colored glaze that needed to be carefully protected to remain whole.
He scooped her up, strode towards the door, and Lin Yanxi clung to his neck, peeking from over his shoulder. She watched her mother's figure shrink bit by bit, blur by blur.
Finally, she could no longer see her, her vision obscured by tears.
Lin Yanxi sat in the sedan chair and heard hurried footsteps chasing after them.
Jiang Wan held a knitted hooded cloak with embroidered flowers. She caught up to the sedan chair and glanced at Shen Muzhou.
He was his usual calm and collected self, his expression indifferent. He nodded and walked a little distance away.
Seeing him move away, Jiang Wan knocked on the sedan chair and said to the person inside, "Zhaozhao, let Mother see you one last time."
There was no response from inside. She continued, "Mother is afraid you'll catch a chill outside, so I made you a cloak."
Lin Yanxi hid in the sedan chair, her head buried low, refusing to respond. She stubbornly thought that she would never speak to her mother again.
Jiang Wan waited outside for a while, then looked up at the high sun in the sky and turned to leave.
Shen Muzhou quickly strode forward and called out to Jiang Wan, "Madam."
His voice was deep, and his gaze was firm. "Madam, although I do not know why you are like this, I believe everyone's destiny is in their own hands. Lin Yanxi is kind by nature. Madam, perhaps you could try to trust her and relax a little."
Jiang Wan's eyes welled up with tears. She stared fixedly at the young man before her. His words seemed to hint at something. Did he also know about Lin Yanxi's fate?
She wanted to ask a few more questions, but Shen Muzhou had already turned his horse and was riding away.
Yu Gu supported Jiang Wan by her elbow and said, "Madam."
Jiang Wan wiped away her tears and asked, "Is everything ready?"
Yu Gu nodded and asked, "Madam, are there any other options? This plan is tantamount to sending oneself to death."
The curse masters had already detected the awakening of a talisman master in Nan Min and had traced it to the Jiang clan in the Imperial Tutor's mansion. Her father had left her two talismans.
One was the Soul Confinement Talisman.
The other was the Spirit Gathering Talisman. This talisman was to be affixed to someone with Jiang clan blood, allowing them to gather spiritual energy for a short time to fight against evil spirits with talisman techniques.
She intended to use the Spirit Gathering Talisman to lure out the curse masters hiding in the shadows, making them mistakenly believe that she was the one with the awakened talisman master bloodline.
---
Lin Yanxi sat in the carriage, her gaze vacant, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. With the jostling of the carriage wheels, the curtain would lift and fall, and in her peripheral vision, she could see Shen Muzhou's tall figure on his horse.
After a long while, her mood calmed down slightly. Shen Muzhou's figure rose and fell with the rhythm of the horses' hooves.
After tonight's palace banquet, tomorrow he would be framed for stealing the Jade Talisman and imprisoned.
Xiao Liu, driving the carriage, asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, we received an invitation to tonight's palace banquet. Shall we attend?"
Shen Muzhou replied in a deep voice, "No."
He never liked to participate in such events.
Lin Yanxi snapped back to reality. Her father had mentioned earlier that when the Jade Talisman was lost, everyone was gathered at the palace banquet, except for Shen Muzhou, who was nowhere to be found.
Therefore, his absence from tonight's banquet was a key piece of evidence for his future conviction.
"Shen Muzhou!"
She suddenly poked her head out from behind the curtain. Realizing her tone was too harsh, she immediately softened her attitude.
"Ninth Prince, I think it would be better for you to attend this banquet."
"Um... After all, it's an invitation personally extended by the Empress. It wouldn't be good to slight the Empress."
He glanced at her sideways, snorted dismissively, and said, "When have I ever needed to consider others' faces to act?"
So arrogant. It's no wonder he's in trouble. She shouldn't have bothered with him.
She huffily lowered the curtain and retreated into the sedan chair. Thinking about what had just happened, her chest felt heavy. She asked in a low voice, "How did you know my mother was going to..."
She couldn't finish the sentence. The thought alone made her heart ache with sorrow and grievance.
He paused for a moment and then replied, "You asked me to hide under your bed. I accidentally discovered an ancient book in a hidden compartment. It mentioned the Soul Confinement Talisman. When I was scaling the wall to leave the Imperial Tutor's mansion, I overheard Yu Gu muttering about the Soul Confinement Talisman. I guessed you might be in danger at the manor."
She lifted the curtain and said, "Thank you."
When the carriage stopped in front of the Imperial Tutor's mansion, Tangchao and Lizi were already waiting there.
Upon seeing their young lady arrive, they immediately went to greet her.
Lin Yanxi hopped off the carriage and looked up at Shen Muzhou, who was still on his horse. After some hesitation, she said, "Ninth Prince, at the palace banquet... I heard there will be tribute lychees. Please go, won't you?"
As soon as she said it, she felt the excuse was terrible. Lychees?
But she couldn't exactly say, "If you don't go today, you'll be framed and imprisoned tomorrow."
Shen Muzhou stared at her face with interest and let out a chuckle. "So many things have happened, and you're still thinking about food. It's truly remarkable."
"So you're just a greedy rabbit. I'll consider it."
He playfully pinched the flesh of her cheek with his fingertips.
She was so embarrassed she wanted the ground to swallow her. She glared at him and angrily turned to head back to the mansion.
Greedy rabbit. She shouldn't have bothered with him at all!
Go or not, it's up to him.
Tangchao followed behind her and said, "Miss, what happened at the manor with Madam? I heard Madam was staying at the manor for a while, and you came back alone?"
Lin Yanxi shook her head, clearly unwilling to answer.
Lizi brought a new goose-yellow dress and said, "Yes, Miss, you should change your clothes first. Don't miss the time for the palace banquet."
After being dressed and adorned, Si Yue entered from outside the room, holding a plate of pastries.
His expression was a bit flustered. Seeing Lin Yanxi, he forced a calm smile and said, "Second Miss, this is some osmanthus cake I bought outside. I guessed you haven't eaten yet, so have some before going to the palace."
Lin Yanxi looked at the wooden box in his hand with a piece of osmanthus cake on top. She shook her head. "I don't want to eat. I have no appetite."
Si Yue's expression dimmed slightly, and he said with some disappointment, "This osmanthus cake is from the most famous shop in the capital. I queued for a long time."
Only then did she look closely. The box was exquisite, and the scent of osmanthus was rich. This small piece of cake likely cost him more than half a month's wages.
Not wanting him to be disappointed, Lin Yanxi took the osmanthus cake and brought it to her lips.
Si Yue stared nervously at Lin Yanxi, his heart filled with unease. He didn't want to harm the Miss. She was the kindest person in the world to him.
But if he didn't do as the black-cloaked person said, his younger brother would remain in their hands.
"Miss!" Seeing Lin Yanxi about to eat the osmanthus cake, he called out softly.
"Hmm?"
At that moment, Lin Ruoyan ran in and said to Lin Yanxi coquettishly, "Second Sister, I want to go to the palace to see too! Father won't take me! Second Sister, take me with you."
Lin Yanxi doted on her sister immensely. Even if it were a small matter like attending a palace banquet, if Ruoyan wanted the moon, she would find a way to pluck it down and give it to her.
"Alright, then you get dressed too. If you don't have suitable hair ornaments, pick two sets from mine. I'll get you new ones later."
Saying that, she brought the osmanthus cake in her hand to her lips, intending to take a small bite.
Si Yue struggled internally for a moment before rushing forward, knocking the osmanthus cake from her hand. He then said, "Miss, there's a bug."
She looked at the osmanthus cake on the ground in confusion. "Is there? I didn't see it."
Si Yue scratched his head and quickly stomped on it a couple of times. The filling of the osmanthus cake turned into a paste, making it even harder to see anything.
"Perhaps it's the hot weather, and it's gotten buggy. I'll clean it up for you, Miss."
Lin Ruoyan picked out a few pretty hair ornaments and said, "Then I'll go back and change my dress. I'll come find you later. Sister, you promised to take me with you, right?"
She happily ran out and happened to see Si Yue sweeping in the courtyard.
"You're the one by Sister's side, called..."
"Si Yue, my name is Si Yue."
"Heh heh, that's a nice name. Si Yue, where did you buy that osmanthus cake just now? When I have time, I'll go buy some to try, to see if it's as good as the ones from my academy."
Si Yue lowered his dark eyes and glanced around. No one else was there; everyone was in Lin Yanxi's room, helping her get ready.
The black-cloaked person had said that if he didn't get Lin Yanxi to eat this thing, they wouldn't let his younger brother go. He couldn't bring himself to harm Lin Yanxi, but there was more than one young lady in the Lin family...
He raised his dark cheeks, revealing a row of neat, white teeth. He took out a paper packet from his sleeve. "I bought two. If Third Miss doesn't mind, please accept them. This pastry shop is in the suburbs, and there's a long queue every day. It's not easy to buy."
Ruoyan's long lashes fluttered. She pursed her small lips, wanting to reach out for it but feeling a little shy. "Then you keep it. I'm not very good at taking things."
He smiled. "I don't like sweets. I originally bought it for Second Miss, but she doesn't seem to have much appetite today. You take it, Third Miss, otherwise, it would be a waste."
Lin Ruoyan's eyes curved upwards as she accepted the osmanthus cake. "Then thank you. I'll give you a gift of something good in return another day."