Although Shang Luoshu told him not to worry, Lu Yinxi still felt a bit uneasy after returning to the Prime Minister's Mansion.
It wasn't until this morning, when Hongrui, who had just come back from outside, brought her the latest news. The young girl was having breakfast at that time.
"Fourth Miss, this servant just found out that the Dali Temple has already settled the case of the fire in the Assistant - Regent's Mansion."
"How?"
Lu Yinxi asked impatiently after hastily swallowing the japonica rice porridge in her mouth.
"The news spread outside says that a servant in the mansion accidentally knocked over a candlestick while making a night - time inspection."
"Is that all?" the young girl murmured involuntarily.
But after thinking it over, it made sense. If the Assistant - Regent wanted to convict Shang Luoshu, just one jade pendant surely wouldn't be enough. In the end, there would only be two possible outcomes.
Either continue to fabricate evidence to frame Shang Luoshu, or just let it go and plot something else later.
It seemed that he had chosen the second option.
It was just a pity for that servant, who had to take the blame innocently.
Putting down the spoon in her hand, Lu Yinxi had lost her appetite. Just as she was about to get up and leave, she noticed the hesitation on Hongrui's face.
"Is there something else?"
"Yes." Hearing the Fourth Miss's question, Hongrui immediately replied, "Besides this, this servant also heard a piece of news outside."
"Lord Hu, the Minister of the Dali Temple, has resigned from office and returned to his hometown in retirement."
"Resigned from office?"
Lu Yinxi couldn't help but let out an exclamation. "Why would he resign?"
Hu Xinya, the Minister of the Dali Temple, was only in his forties. How could it be time for him to resign and return to his hometown in retirement?
Suppressing her surging emotions, the young girl calmed herself down. "What did he say?"
Both the mistress and the servant knew clearly who "he" referred to.
"This servant still doesn't know about Master's side."
Even Shang Luoshu couldn't guess Shang Mozheng's thoughts this time?
Supporting her forehead with her palm, Lu Yinxi suddenly felt annoyed again. This feeling of knowing that someone was lurking in the dark, ready to attack, but not knowing when they would strike was really annoying.
She had now fully realized that with her wits, she could deal with concubines like Concubine Wang in the inner courtyard, but once it came to the court, she was completely at a loss.
Forget it! Anyway, she wasn't the only one who wanted Shang Mozheng dead!
The breakfast on the table had all been cleared away. Hongmei thoughtfully placed a pot of cold tea beside Lu Yinxi.
"Summer is almost here, Fourth Miss. You can have some cold tea to quench your thirst."
"Yes, isn't the Summer Solstice just a few days away?"
Taking a sip of the tea along the rim of the cup, the young girl replied absent - mindedly.
"Miss is right. In a few days, it will be the day when Madam promised to take you out. Does Miss have anything she wants to eat? This servant will ask someone to prepare it in advance."
"Go out?"
After a moment of daze, Lu Yinxi finally remembered that her mother had indeed said a few days ago that she would take her out for a stroll.
With her youngest daughter's company, Madam Lu had had fewer nightmares at night. She also realized that since her daughter returned to the mansion, she didn't have many close little sisters and had only attended a few banquets.
The only time she did go, she went with high hopes but returned disappointed.
Now that summer hadn't fully arrived and the weather was still quite cool, the noble ladies in the capital would take this opportunity to hold a spring - outing gathering in the suburbs. Madam Lu wanted to take her daughter to attend it.
"It doesn't matter. I'm not picky. You can just bring more snacks that Madam and Miss Xu like."
The Miss Xu that Lu Yinxi mentioned was the younger sister - in - law of her second elder sister, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Yongchang's Mansion.
The wife of the Marquis of Yongchang had passed away early. Lu Yinqian was pregnant and her pregnancy was quite advanced, so it was not convenient for her to go out. Therefore, she had entrusted her younger sister - in - law to her mother's family.
The sunlight outside the window passed in a flash, and the shadows of the flowers on the table slowly moved forward.
The early morning light in early summer came especially early, which even prevented Lu Yinxi from sleeping in. After she finished washing up and had her fill, Xu Siyan, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Yongchang's Mansion, had already arrived at the mansion.
Miss Xu was the same age as the young girl, both at the age of sixteen. But compared to Lu Yinxi, her eyebrows looked more innocent. She was more like a naive and carefree sixteen - year - old girl.
It seemed that her family must dote on her very much!
The young girl thought enviously. If the original owner hadn't been burdened with that inexplicable prophecy, she should have grown up happily under the protection of her family just like Miss Xu.
It was just a pity that there were no ifs in this world.
"Are you my sister - in - law's younger sister? She often talks about you at home."
Seeing the girl who was about the same age as herself waiting at the door, Xu Siyan bounced over to her lively and spoke in a delicate voice, with a hint of envy in her tone.
Lu Yinxi actually wasn't very good at dealing with girls like this, but seeing the star - like smile on her face, she still involuntarily softened her voice.
"Hello, I'm Lu Yinxi. You can call me Xier like my second elder sister does."
"Sister - in - law told me that you're one month older than me. Can I call you Sister Xier?"
"Sure."
After exchanging names, the two started chatting happily. To be more precise, it was Xu Siyan talking on her own, and Lu Yinxi responding occasionally.
Even so, Miss Xu still talked with great enthusiasm, telling one story after another. It wasn't until Madam Lu took them onto the carriage that she finally stopped.
"Sister Xier, do you think I talk too much?"
On the carriage, Miss Xu, who noticed that the young girl hadn't responded for a long time, finally began to reflect on whether she had talked too much.
"No. Your stories are very interesting. I was just a bit distracted just now."
Showing a timely smile, Lu Yinxi gently comforted Xu Siyan.
"Really?"
Xu Siyan bit her lip, still hesitating. She always felt that this was just a comforting excuse? Suddenly, she remembered the servants' gossip she had accidentally heard before going out this morning. Her round almond - shaped eyes immediately lit up.
"Sister Xier, do you know the youngest son of the Minister of Rites?"
The Minister of Rites? The Kong family!
The youngest son of their family was...
"Yes, what has he done this time?"
Thinking of this person's past misdeeds, Lu Yinxi couldn't help but frown.
Xu Siyan also knew about Kong Jiao's bad behavior, but she still waved her hand hurriedly and said, "No, this time it's not what he has done. Instead, something might have been done to him."
Huh?
The disgust on the young girl's face just right turned into confusion.
"Let me tell you secretly," the little girl said in a deliberately mysterious and low voice, attaching herself to her ear. "I heard someone say today that the bastard son of the Kong family seems to be missing!"
The spring - outing gathering was held in the suburbs. By the time the carriages from the Prime Minister Lu's Mansion arrived at the destination, many people had already arrived earlier.
"Wow, it's so beautiful!"
On the lush and green ground, wildflowers and green grass were intertwined, like scattered stars.
Not far away, the wooden cabins that had been temporarily built for rest were covered with dense green vines. From afar, they seemed to blend in perfectly with the surroundings.
The noble ladies and gentlemen who had already arrived were now gathering in twos and threes, occasionally bursting into laughter.
It was clearly a beautiful and relaxing scene, but for some reason, Lu Yinxi's sixth sense started to act up again.
She always felt that something was going to happen today.