Time Is Slow - Chapter 28
The tender mint leaves emitted a faint, refreshing scent. A cluster like this would repel mosquitoes in the summer.
As he took another step, he saw a vine of honeysuckle draped over a trellis. The flowers had already bloomed, golden yellow and pure white, two blossoms growing from a single stem, inseparable.
Honeysuckle, also known as the Mandarin Duck Vine.
For a moment, Shao Mingyuan seemed to see that delicate woman, as pure as a white hibiscus.
She had lived in this quiet courtyard for two years. With her slender hands, she had personally planted the mint to ward off mosquitoes and the honeysuckle to clear heat and detoxify.
When she stood gazing at this honeysuckle vine, had she ever felt lonely?
What kind of person was she?
Shao Mingyuan raised his hand, his fingers lightly brushing against a petal.
His hands had wielded blades and spears for years, calloused and rough. At his touch, the delicate white petal fell.
Startled, he withdrew his hand and looked down at the fallen petal, the corner of his lips curving into a bitter smile.
A man like him should never have taken a wife. A man who keeps on bringing harm to both himself and others, reaping what he had sown.
Leaning against the trellis, he looked up at the sky.
The sun had just set, and the brilliant evening glow faded into dullness, silently bidding farewell to the world.
Silence filled the surroundings, broken only by the faint chirping of insects. A breeze carried the cool scent of mint through the air.
Shao Mingyuan straightened, brushed the fallen petal off his shoulder, and strode away.
At this hour, the young ladies of the Western Manor had finished their lessons. Their first stop upon returning was to pay respects to Old Madam Deng at Qingsong Hall, instantly filling the hall with lively chatter.
“Today was calligraphy class, wasn’t it?” Old Madam Deng smiled at her three granddaughters.
The eldest among them was Li Jiao, who was already sixteen years old. With an oval face and willow-leaf brows, she appeared graceful and composed. She was Old Madam Deng’s favorite granddaughter.
The other two girls were daughters of Second Madam Liu. The one in yellow was Fourth Miss Li Yan, the same age as Li Zhao, while the one in pink, just over ten years old, was Sixth Miss Li Chan.
As soon as Old Madam Deng asked, the youngest, Li Chan, eagerly spoke up.
“Yes! We just got a new calligraphy tutor, and he’s really strict! He even hit my palm today.”
She stretched out her soft, fair hand to show Old Madam Deng, revealing a red mark on her palm.
Old Madam Deng chuckled, eyes crinkling with amusement.
“That just means you haven’t been working hard enough. This tutor was personally hired by the Lady of the Household. You should learn well from him. Perhaps this year, you can showcase your skills at the Buddha’s Birthday celebration.”
The Emperor followed Taoism, but the Empress Dowager was devoted to Buddhism. As a result, both Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries flourished in the capital.
Every year on the Buddha’s Birthday, noble ladies from all households would bring offerings and handwritten Buddhist scriptures to Dafu Temple to participate in the bathing of the Buddha ceremony.
The scriptures were mostly copied by the women themselves, and over time, this tradition became a way for noble families to showcase the calligraphy skills of their daughters.
Why? Because on the same mountain as Dafu Temple stood Shuying Nunnery, home to a Grand Princess who had renounced the secular world. Even the Emperor had to address her as “Aunt.” Each year, the monks at Dafu Temple would select the most exquisite handwritten scriptures and present them to her.
For a young lady’s work to be chosen was a great honor for her family.
“The Buddha’s Birthday is coming up soon. Cramming at the last minute won’t help,” Li Chan muttered, pouting.
Fourth Miss Li Yan pinched her cheek.
“That’s what you get for slacking off!”
Li Chan giggled and dodged aside.
“It doesn’t matter if I do it or not. Big Sister and Second Sister will take care of it anyway.”
Her “Big Sister” referred to Li Jiao, while “Second Sister” was Li Jiao, a young lady from the Eastern Manor.
The Eastern Manor had two daughters: Second Miss Li Jiao, a legitimate daughter who was deeply favored by their grandmother, Old Madam Jiang. It was often said that the young ladies from the Western Manor were merely there to accompany her in their studies.
As for Fifth Miss Li Shu, being a concubine’s daughter, she was barely worth mentioning.
“Sixth Sister, you always joke about me,” Li Jiao said with a gentle smile.
In the midst of the cheerful conversation, Old Madam Deng suddenly spoke.
“Third Miss has returned.”
The room fell silent instantly. It was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
Fourth Miss Li Yan and Sixth Miss Li Chan instinctively glanced at Li Jiao.
After a brief moment of shock, Li Jiao’s face lit up with joy.
“Third Sister is back?”
Hidden within her lavender sleeves, her hands clenched tightly.
“She was sent back today.”
“That’s wonderful! I thought…” Li Jiao trailed off, biting her lip, her voice thick with emotion.
Li Yan and Li Chan exchanged glances but remained silent.
“All right, you three should go rest now.”
As they left Qingsong Hall, Li Jiao turned to her cousins.
“Fourth Sister, Sixth Sister, would you like to come with me to see Third Sister?”
Li Yan’s jaw tensed.
“We need to return to Jinrong Courtyard to greet Mother first.”
“Exactly! Who would want to see her anyway? Getting kidnapped and then actually coming back, how embarrassing!” Li Chan scoffed.
“Sixth Sister!” Li Yan shot Li Chan a warning glare.
The two sisters walked to the crossroads and bid farewell to Li Jiao.
Watching their figures disappear into the distance, Li Jiao curled her lips into a faint smile before returning to Yahe Courtyard to pay respects to Madam He, mentioning her intention to visit Li Zhao.
Madam He, however, stopped her.
“No need. Zhao Zhao has already gone to rest.”
“Then I’ll visit her tomorrow.”
Li Jiao returned to the east side courtyard, but as soon as she stepped inside, her expression darkened.
“My dear girl, what’s upsetting you?”
A woman in her thirties pulled Li Jiao into an embrace. She wore her sleek hair in a neat bun, secured with a jade hairpin, looking both fresh and capable.
“Nanny, I just came from Grandmother’s place and heard that Third Miss is back. Tell me everything that happened today in detail.”
This was a significant event, so the nanny had naturally been keeping an eye on it. Without missing a detail, she recounted everything to Li Jiao.
After listening, Li Jiao lowered her gaze in silence.
The nanny gritted her teeth.
“That wretched troublemaker! Why didn’t she just die out there? Now that she’s back, the one who will suffer the most is you!”
Li Jiao suddenly smiled. “Nanny, it’s fine. It’s actually good that she’s back.”
—
At dawn the next day, Shao Mingyuan quietly led a team of personal guards out of the city.
By the time the warm sunlight bathed the capital, shocking news had already spread like wildfire.
The family of the former Left Censor-in-Chief Qiao, who had returned to their hometown to observe mourning rites, had perished in a devastating fire. The only survivor was the Qiao family’s young master, who had been visiting a friend at the time. However, in his attempt to save his younger sister, he was severely disfigured. He was now residing at the residence of his maternal relatives, the Kou family.
Although Lord Qiao had temporarily left the capital’s political scene due to his mourning period, he was still a high-ranking official of the second rank. More importantly, he was the son of the famed Master Qiao. The tragic fate of his family left many in the capital sighing in lament.
What made the situation even more sorrowful was that Lord Qiao’s only legitimate daughter—the wife of the Champion Marquis—was still on the road to the capital. Her coffin was being transported alongside those of fallen soldiers who had given their lives for the country.
The Qiao family’s misfortune was truly overwhelming.
Countless people thought so.
The Minister of Justice, Lord Kou, requested an imperial decree to thoroughly investigate the Qiao family fire. Emperor Mingkang approved the request and dispatched an imperial envoy to Jiafeng to uncover the truth.
While everyone’s attention was focused on the Qiao family’s tragedy, the Earl Changchun’s household quietly sent someone to the Li family to break off the engagement between the Earl’s youngest son and Li Jiao.