"Are you, Sister Su?"
They had just found a place. Before the servants of the Lu family had finished unpacking the things they had brought, a lady came towards them with her entourage.
Hearing the long - lost address, Mrs. Lu was obviously taken aback. Her eyes fell on the newcomer and she sized her up intently.
"May I ask who you are, madam?"
Having been confined to the Buddhist hall for many years, Mrs. Lu had long lost touch with the social circle in the capital, let alone recognize people.
The newcomer was not annoyed. Instead, she stepped forward more eagerly, with barely suppressed excitement in her voice.
"It's me, Sister Su. I'm the little girl from the Mei family who used to like following you around."
A memory flashed through Mrs. Lu's mind. She seemed to find the familiar shadow of the past in the woman in front of her.
"Are you the fifth daughter of General Mei?"
"Sister Su remembers me!"
The newcomer smiled even more eagerly and even reached out her hand. She affectionately took Mrs. Lu's arm, her manner showing a bit of a young girl's coquettishness.
"I was married far away to a foreign place back then, and then lost touch with you, Sister. I never thought we'd meet again today!"
"The world is full of uncertainties. I didn't expect it either."
Mrs. Lu replied gently. Just as Mrs. Mei was about to say something more, her peripheral vision accidentally caught a familiar yet strange face.
"Is this, Sister Su's daughter?"
She let go of Mrs. Lu's arm and pulled Lu Yinxi closer, looking at her carefully. "These eyebrows and eyes are very much like yours when you were young."
No mother doesn't like to hear that her children resemble her, and Mrs. Lu was no exception. Her expression softened instantly.
Lu Yinxi was also very well - behaved. She curtsied and greeted, "Hello, Aunt Mei."
"Good, good, good!"
As she said this, Mrs. Mei took out a hairpin from her head and inserted it into the girl's hair bun.
"I think this hairpin matches your clothes today very well. Consider it a greeting gift for you."
Lu Yinxi was startled. Her eyes couldn't help but glance at Mrs. Lu. Was the relationship between this suddenly - appeared Mrs. Mei and her mother so good?
Noticing her daughter's gaze, Mrs. Lu nodded imperceptibly, subtly diverting Mrs. Mei's attention back.
"How have you been all these years? I remember you seemed to marry a military officer named Feng back then?"
For some reason, a flash of pain crossed Mrs. Mei's face after hearing this, and even the smile on her face faded a bit.
"Of course I've been well. My husband is now a general in the court. What could be better?"
A general named Feng?
Lu Yinxi, who had been standing silently in the background, suddenly lifted her eyelids and happened to meet Hongmei's eyes.
As if knowing what the girl was wondering, Hongmei hesitated for a moment and then nodded.
An indescribable thought flashed across Lu Yinxi's lips. It had to be said that the social circle in the capital was really small. Mrs. Mei was actually...
"Mother, why did you leave without telling me?"
The voice of a woman came from afar, interrupting the girl's thoughts. Soon, a girl in a long silk and gold - embroidered dress appeared in her sight.
As she had expected, the newcomer was Feng Wan, who had had a brief encounter with her at the spring banquet. She was the daughter of General Feng Zheng and also Mrs. Mei's daughter.
"Good timing, Wan'er," said Mrs. Mei, pulling her daughter to her side as soon as she saw her. "This is Aunt Lu, my childhood friend. Quickly greet her."
Feng Wan was very obedient. She immediately tidied up her appearance, lowered her eyebrows, and said with a gentle smile, "Hello, Aunt Lu."
"What a good child."
As Mrs. Lu said this, she took off the bracelet on her wrist and put it into Feng Wan's hand. "I've been wearing this for many years. Don't you dare dislike it."
"I wouldn't dare, Aunt Lu. Thank you."
After receiving the greeting gift, Mrs. Mei immediately wanted to send the two girls away so that she could catch up with her childhood friend.
"Wan'er, I still have something to talk to your Aunt Lu. You take Miss Lu Si around here first."
Hearing this, Feng Wan then noticed that not far away, there were two girls, both about sixteen or seventeen years old. One of them was an old acquaintance of hers, Lu Yinxi.
Their eyes met. The first thing Feng Wan saw was Lu Yinxi's bright eyes.
When going out today, Hongrui had specially applied a very gentle eye - makeup for Lu Yinxi. However, the moment Feng Wan met her gaze, she inexplicably felt a flutter in her heart.
But it was too late for her to decline, because the girl had already walked up to her, presenting herself as a proper young lady of a noble family. "Thank you for your trouble, Sister Wan'er."
In the capital, the Mansion of the Regent Prince
Wave after wave of crying came from the study. The servants and maids passing by didn't dare to listen carefully and hurried away.
Inside the room, Kong Ren, the Minister of Rites, was crying out of breath. "Your Highness, please, this is my only precious son. Please save him!"
"Only one son? Do you think my son - in - law is dead?"
There was also an illegitimate eldest son in the Minister of Rites' mansion, who had married the Regent Prince's legitimate daughter, Shang Yale. So Shang Mozheng's words were reasonable.
"Kong Ren, I know you dote on your stupid son, but I should have told you to treat your sons equally!"
Although both were illegitimate sons, Kong Ren particularly favored his youngest son. He had even beaten his eldest son half to death many times for the sake of his youngest son.
If the eldest son, Kong Fang, hadn't been promising enough to pass the imperial examination in the thirteenth year of the dynasty and then married the Regent Prince's daughter, which made Minister Kong not dare to neglect him, Kong Fang might have been tortured to death by him long ago.
"Your Highness, I didn't. I really didn't." Snot and tears flowed down together. Shang Mozheng really couldn't bear to look. But Kong Ren's voice seemed to haunt him and drill into his mind.
"Your Highness, I'm worried that Jiao'er will say something inappropriate. These days, I've had people search the whole capital from top to bottom, but there's still no trace of Jiao'er. Your Highness, please save Jiao'er! Save Jiao'er!"
As he said this, Kong Ren began to wail again, and his voice was even louder than before. Shang Mozheng felt the veins on his forehead throbbing.
"Enough!"
He slapped the table so hard that the annoying voice suddenly stopped.
Taking a deep breath, Shang Mozheng tried his best not to be so angry. "I'll send people for you. Go and search in the suburbs of the capital."
In the suburbs of the capital
Lu Yinxi and Feng Wan walked in silence on the green grassland. The wind in early summer blew on their faces, cool and gentle.
Suddenly, Feng Wan stopped first. Her expression was serious and her tone was cold.
"Miss Lu, I have some things to attend to. I'm afraid I can't accompany you anymore."
Hearing this, Lu Yinxi was not surprised. When Mrs. Mei had asked her to accompany Lu Yinxi, she had been reluctant. It was already a surprise to the girl that she had waited this long to say it.
However, Lu Yinxi was a bit concerned now. Judging from Feng Wan's expression, it should not be a trivial matter. So what important thing made her so anxious?