Seventeen years later. The second year of Taiqing.
The lotus in the pond was about to bloom, and there were already faint red dots in the green. The maid in green walked over the Nine-Curved Flying Rainbow over the pond, passed through the long corridor along the water, turned sideways and walked into a room.
The red-dressed girl in the room was busy all the time. She saw someone coming in from the corner of her eye and shouted, "Miyun, Miyun, help me take down the jar on the far right of the cabinet."
Mi Yun obediently took it down and handed it to her, then poked her head to look at the thing she had been busy with for most of the day and said in a daze, "Miss... what is this?" The round white object was scribbled with unknown pigments for a while, and it seemed to have a fragrance.
"Birthday cake." The woman turned around and smiled at her, her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
"Then... what is it?" Mi Yun has been with her for seven or eight years, but still can't figure out some of the young lady's inexplicable things. She waved her hands and said angrily: "A cake is just a cake, why ask so many questions? I'll make one for you tomorrow."
After that, he carefully picked up the glass plate with the cake, walked out of the house with light steps, and only said: "Miyun, go and tell the master. I have to accompany my brother to celebrate his birthday today, so I won't go."
Miyun held his mouth tightly, muttering to himself, and had something to say every day.
Hanzhen was nearly twenty years old at that time. She looked very much like her mother, including her personality.
Hanzhen carried the glass plate and took many detours to Qingzhuju.
The winding path leads to a secluded place, and there is no one in the hall. Hanzhen thought for a moment, then walked out of the side door and into the bamboo forest. She knew that her brother was always indifferent and leisurely, and there was nothing better than a pot of tea and a piece of music.
Sure enough, in the pavilion shaded by the green bamboo forest, a man in green clothes sat upright, his head bowed in a book. But there were a few bamboo leaves scattered on the book in his hand, and it seemed that he was not attentive here.
Hanzhen approached quietly and suddenly raised her voice and shouted, "Wait! Are you meeting Zhou Gong?"
He was not frightened. He looked up at her with a smile, and said in a soft and clear voice, "Sister, you are here." He had a very handsome face, as strong as his father, but without his father's indifference. The soft lines and the upturned lip line shone such warmth directly into Hanzhen's chest.
"Happy birthday." Han Zhen smiled and raised the cake in her hand and placed it in front of him, "Here, I, your sister, spent a whole day making this especially for you."
Xiao Fangdeng looked at him and smiled: "Thank you." But there was no smile in his eyes.
Hanzhen sat down beside him, took away the scroll in his hand, frowned and asked, "Are you unhappy again?" She has always loved her brother and cared for him like a mother would her son.
Fang Deng chuckled: "No, it's fine." It was a bit far-fetched.
Hanzhen thought for a moment and asked again: "Is it those stupid kids and bitches who are bothering you?" Thinking of this, she immediately got angry. Now the mansion is very lively. In the past ten years, the speed of the import of children has been very fast. Xiao Yi already has three wives and four concubines and a lot of children. Fang Ju and Fang Lue are the most mischievous and like to make trouble all day long. Hanzhen hates them very much, but they are protected by the aunt, so she can't scold them. But today, I have to teach him a lesson, no matter who his mother is.
"Sister, you're worrying too much. They won't come to my place." Fang Deng saw that she was angry and was about to roll up her sleeves to quarrel, so he quickly held her back.
Hanzhen sat back in her seat, stared at him for a long time and then let out a breath. Fang Deng was aloof, not close to anyone except her and her mother, and always indifferent to family matters. The strange thing was that Xiao Yi was very good to every one of his children, except him. So the family's attitude towards him gradually became cold, even though he was the eldest son. Fang Deng didn't care, and seemed to be happy with such leisure. He moved to a corner of the mansion and only had a bamboo garden and a few bookshelves, nothing else. Even by his side, there was only a book boy named Zimo.
Hanzhen gradually understood, and asked softly with pity and helplessness: "But... because my parents didn't come today?" This fact is really not his fault, but the special date of the birthday. Many years ago today, Zhao Pei's heart was broken, and Xiao Yi's heart was cold. Seeing Fang Deng, those who have a past will always be involved in the things they are most reluctant to look back on. She thought that this was also the reason why Fang Deng was ignored by Xiao Yi. They were subconsciously avoiding each other, fearing that the harmony that they had painstakingly maintained until today would suddenly be torn apart again because of the meager memories.
Fang Deng smiled back at her and said calmly, "Deng... I'm used to it. Dad has his own things to do, and Mom has her own things to worry about." There was no resentment in his eyes, only a hint of hidden sorrow. Han Zhen reached out and stroked his shiny black hair, whispering, "Don't we still have my sister?"
Fang Deng looked at the cake in front of him with a half-smile, lowering his eyes, and said faintly: "Mom seems to have never spent my birthday with me. Since I was a child, only my sister has been by my side..." Han Zhen really couldn't bear to see him so lonely, biting her lip but not knowing how to comfort him, and then heard Fang Deng ask: "Sister, today is the death anniversary of the former prince. Is that right?"
Han Zhen was stunned and looked at his clear eyes, a little surprised. It seemed that the mansion had always been taboo to discuss this topic, and Zhao Pei and Xiao Yi never mentioned it. If she hadn't been careful, she might not have known that there was such a person as Xiao Tong.
"How do you know?" Han Zhen asked subconsciously.
Fang Deng raised the scroll in his hand and said, "Uncle He brought me a book. It's recorded in it. Does Sister know?" Han Zhen quickly picked up the book and looked at it. It was the page where Fang Deng was in a daze. He frowned slightly, thinking about how to destroy the body.
"Sister, do you know?" Fang Deng asked when he saw her stuffing the book into her sleeve.
Hanzhen lowered her head and carefully tied the knot, and replied, "I just found out about that, too."
"But sister was not surprised and seemed to be avoiding the question. It seemed that not only sister but no one else had talked about it." Fang Deng raised his eyebrows, his face full of disbelief and thoughtful inquiry.
Hanzhen's face darkened, and she glared at him and knocked on his head: "What's there to know? Who would talk about these things every day? Besides, how old was I at that time?"
Fang Deng smiled and said, "I just think it's a coincidence. Every year at this time, my mother would lock herself in the house for several days. This day, she went out alone with a sky lantern in her arms early in the morning and didn't come back until the moon was over. Sister, why do you think this is the case?"
Hanzhen met his deep, searching eyes, and she panicked and stammered, "How should I know?"
"Sister must know." Fang Deng smiled mysteriously, "Although I have lived in the inner courtyard for a long time, I have also heard about Sister's many deeds when she was young and very smart."
Han Zhen was speechless for a while, then laughed angrily, "Don't tease me about this kind of thing."
"Okay." Fang Deng already had a general idea in his mind and didn't want to delve into it any further, so he changed the subject: "But I still have a question. Sister is already twenty years old this year. Why have you always rejected so many marriage proposals from princes and nobles and haven't married yet?" His words were full of teasing and laughter.
Hanzhen saw that he was pointing the finger at her. She had been concerned about this matter by her parents and the aunts, but now she was urged by him. She shouted angrily: "Okay, you are already getting tired of me. You have to drive me out of the palace to feel comfortable, right? Eat the cake quickly! Otherwise I will burn your books!" Intermittent laughter came from the depths of the bamboo forest. As long as Hanzhen was there, Qingzhuju would be noisy. (To be continued)