Perhaps having suffered a setback and receiving no news from Wen Chengen, Meng Ruxue had stayed behind closed doors for the past few days. She had become a lot less noticeable than before.
Wen Qianyue no longer bothered about Meng Ruxue. Instead, she focused all her attention on preparing Xie Yunxiao for his enrollment in the academy.
The letter from the Yufeng Academy had arrived long ago. Although Xie Yunxiao didn't seem very willing, he still sent someone to buy new writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
He might have appeared nonchalant, but on the night before the start of school, he was more nervous than anyone else.
He lingered in the Guanyun Courtyard for half a day and refused to leave. If Feng Sa hadn't dragged him back to sleep, he might really have stayed up all night.
...
The next day, when the air was still shrouded in a thin mist, Xie Yunxiao rushed to the Guanyun Courtyard, saying that he came to bid farewell to Wen Qianyue.
Wen Qianyue was woken up by him. Even through the curtain, she could see how serious Xie Yunxiao looked.
He looked as if he were going to the frontline of a battlefield, which made Wen Qianyue not know whether to laugh or cry.
What could she do? After all, this was her son. So she could only coax him.
After Xie Yunxiao left, the room became much quieter. A sense of melancholy welled up in her heart. She was used to seeing her son coming and going at home.
Then, seeing Feng Sa running around in the yard and plucking her plum blossoms, she composed herself and told Su Ye to drive him out.
Wen Qianyue turned around, let out a soft sigh, and lost all her drowsiness. She decided not to sleep anymore.
After washing up and changing her clothes, Feng Sa came running over again.
He had played all over the Prince's Mansion. He was always jumping around all day long, just like a child.
He held the flower he had carefully selected, pursed his lips, looking a bit embarrassed. His face and ears turned red at the same time.
"Here, this is for you."
Wen Qianyue couldn't help but tease him, "So you plucked my flowers just to give them to me?"
Feng Sa didn't seem to mind at all. He said seriously, "This is the most beautiful one."
Wen Qianyue nodded, not taking it seriously. Unexpectedly, this guy just refused to leave her yard. He stared at her with wide-open eyes without blinking.
"Is there something you want?"
"Where's Xie Yunxiao?" Feng Sa tilted his head, "Today, I haven't been his master yet."
So that's what it was about.
Feng Sa was referring to the daily martial arts practice between him and Xie Yunxiao. Since it was Xie Yunxiao's first day at the academy, there was no time for practice.
Just as Su Ye came in, she heard this and couldn't help laughing as she explained, "The prince has gone to the academy. He probably won't be back until evening."
Feng Sa fell silent. He lowered his head, and it was obvious that he was feeling quite dejected.
Su Ye was in a dilemma and looked at Wen Qianyue.
Although Xie Yunxiao had gone to the academy to study, he couldn't slack off on his martial arts training. Otherwise, all her efforts would be in vain.
Wen Qianyue thought carefully. Back then, the emperor was afraid that she wouldn't study hard enough and also worried that she would overwork herself. So he and the imperial physician came up with a schedule to ensure that she could make time for other things while not neglecting her studies.
After finishing her meal, she copied it down from memory.
When the ink was dry, she picked up the paper and smiled in satisfaction.
One shouldn't push a child too hard, but neither should one be too lenient.
"Su Ye, tell someone to prepare the carriage." When Wen Qianyue was checking the warehouse before, she saw a zither. Unfortunately, it was in poor condition and the tone was not good. So she thought that since she was going out today, she would go to the zither shop to see if there was a zither that caught her fancy.
"I'm going too." Hearing this, Feng Sa stopped playing and quickly followed up.
Wen Qianyue thought it might be a good idea. At least he wouldn't cause any trouble in the mansion.
However...
Wen Qianyue sat upright, her jawline tense, "Don't run around. Listen to Su Ye. Otherwise, don't come back."
Her voice was not loud, but it carried an unshakable firmness. Anyone who heard it would instinctively hold their breath.
Feng Sa nodded obediently and promised again and again.
In the carriage, Wen Qianyue watched Feng Sa constantly looking around. He almost ran in front of the carriage wheel. She felt that she had made a wrong decision.
She and Su Ye exchanged a helpless look.
Just then, the carriage suddenly stopped.
This unexpected incident also startled the coachman. He quickly grabbed the reins.
Su Ye lifted the curtain and shouted at the coachman, "What's going on? Don't you know the young lady is inside?"
The coachman looked a bit helpless. He was so frightened that he almost lost his wits, "Young lady, just now a young lady on a horse almost crashed into us. I had to dodge, which might have startled you."
Thanks to the coachman's timely dodge. Otherwise, if the horse got frightened, no one knew what would happen.
Wen Qianyue frowned slightly and lifted the curtain on the side. The peddlers on the street had fallen to the ground, and all their goods were scattered everywhere.
"Did you see who that was just now?"
The coachman shook his head, but Su Ye guessed who it was, "Riding a horse recklessly on the street. It must be Miss Liang of the Liang Mansion - Liang Tan."
Wen Qianyue remembered what happened at the Ling Prince's Mansion last time and then asked, "Is she the younger sister of Liang Gui?"
"Exactly."
Before Wen Qianyue could think further, there suddenly came a loud shout from outside.
"Whose child is this? She's been crying here all the time. I'm afraid she's hurt."
Without hesitation, Wen Qianyue motioned for Su Ye to go and have a look. Feng Sa also followed out of curiosity.
Surrounded by a crowd of people, the little girl cried even louder. Her voice was originally delicate, but perhaps because she had been crying for too long, it sounded hoarse.
Hearing the crying, Wen Qianyue thought of her daughter Xie Yunhuang who was far away in the capital.
When she left her daughter's side, the girl was only five years old. At this moment, she felt a bit melancholy.
"Back to you, young lady. It's a little girl. She must have gotten separated from her family while out playing. She was really frightened just now, and her ankle is also injured."
It was fate. She had just thought of her own daughter, and now here was another little girl.
Wen Qianyue couldn't bear it any longer. She got out of the carriage and immediately saw the little girl surrounded by the crowd. Her eyes were red from crying, looking like a little rabbit.
A young woman was holding her, and there was a strong man following behind. They were trying to coax the little girl and saying something. As they spoke, they tried to pull her away.
"Good girl, why don't you even recognize your parents? Stop crying. Come home with mother. Mother will make you something delicious when we get back."
Wen Qianyue observed that the little girl was dressed in fine clothes. There was a little rabbit made of pearls on her head. Although her hair was a bit messy and her clothes were covered in dust, it was obvious that she was a pampered girl from a well - to - do family.
On the contrary, the woman holding her was wearing coarse cloth clothes. Although the man behind her was dressed in slightly better fabric, there was still a huge gap compared to the little girl. Obviously, they were not a family.
The little girl's resistance was clearly written on her face.
Wen Qianyue stepped forward quickly, pushed the woman away, not caring that the dirty things on the ground would stain her skirt, and then squatted down directly.
"What do you think you're doing?" The woman who was pushed away complained unhappily. Seeing that Wen Qianyue remained unmoved, she motioned to the man behind her to snatch the little girl away directly.
Unexpectedly, before he could take action, someone kicked him hard in the knee from behind, and he knelt on the ground on both knees.
Feng Sa gave Wen Qianyue a proud look, his eyebrows almost reaching the sky.