Si Yue retreated to the outside of the courtyard. After watching Lin Yan Xi enter the room, he quietly surveyed the surroundings. Confirming that no one in the royal manor had noticed him, he scaled the wall and slipped away.
He walked to a secluded alley and found someone waiting for him.
The person was wearing a black cloak, their eyes lowered so their face was obscured. Their voice, whether male or female, was indistinguishable. "Si Yue, you've been living too comfortably in the Grand Tutor's manor. Have you forgotten who your master is?"
Si Yue knelt on the ground, not daring to look up at the person. Those who could see the face of the black-cloaked figure were already as good as dead.
He suppressed his emotions and said in a low voice, "I would not dare."
The black cloak snorted and threw a small paper packet at his feet. "Find a way to make Miss Lin drink this before the palace banquet begins."
Seeing Si Yue kneeling and not complying, the figure threatened him dismissively, "If you want to save your brother's life, then obey."
Si Yue knelt on the ground, hesitant to respond. Upon hearing the word 'brother,' he hesitated no longer, quickly grabbing the powder from the ground and tucking it into his clothes.
---
Grand Tutor's Manor.
As the first rays of sunlight streamed into the courtyard, the servants became busy. The entire manor was preparing luggage for Lin Yan Xi's long journey.
Jiang Wan stood in the courtyard, flipping through the clothes already packed into chests, and frowned. "Pack more clothes. Include thick padded jackets, hand warmers, and cotton headscarves. We don't know when she'll reach Shangchi along the way. What if she catches a cold in the severe weather, or suffers heatstroke in the intense heat?"
"Yes, Yu Gu, hurry! Go and prepare enough common medicinal herbs – for chills, internal heat, and detoxifying. Also, bring more sachets to ward off insects and snakes. Zhao Zhao fears snakes the most."
Lin Ze sat with a perpetually cold expression, not even attending the morning court. He said displeasured, "Then why are you forcing your daughter to look for that 'Shangchi'? It's just a legend. No one has ever truly been there, and no one can prove that the country of Shangchi actually exists!"
"Zhao Zhao has finally regained her senses, and you haven't even given her a smile. You say you're strict with your daughter, and I could understand that. But now? You're pushing your daughter towards her death!"
Upon hearing Lin Ze's words, the tears Jiang Wan had been holding back burst forth.
"Do you think I don't dote on her? Zhao Zhao is my daughter, a piece of my flesh! But tell me, what should I do? What am I supposed to do?"
Jiang Wan was stubborn. The decline of the Jiang clan had worried her day and night, yet she had never cried as she did today.
Ten years ago, when Lin Yan Xi first displayed her talent as a talisman master, she had made an extremely cruel decision, personally using a soul-binding talisman to turn Lin Yan Xi into a simpleton.
She thought they could live peacefully like this. But fate had made Lin Yan Xi regain her senses, forcing her to make another choice.
Compared to facing the tribulation or using the soul-binding talisman again to turn Lin Yan Xi into a living dead person, leaving Yue You was the best option.
It was the best path she, as a mother, could choose for Lin Yan Xi.
Lin Ze rarely spoke to Jiang Wan with such a stern face. He disagreed with his daughter taking such a risk a thousand times over, but Jiang Wan always brought up fate and heavenly tribulations. The Jiang clan had always fulfilled these predestined prophecies.
For a moment, he was unsure whether to insist on his daughter staying, fearing Lin Yan Xi might truly face the tribulation. He also feared Jiang Wan's unyielding nature; if he didn't go along with her, her ailment would be harder to resolve.
He stood silently beside Jiang Wan, gently stroking her back and offering her a handkerchief.
Lin Yan Xi was awakened early that morning by the sound of sobbing outside her bed. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Li Zi and Tang Chao hugging each other and crying at her door.
Tang Chao shouted loudly, "Miss is not awake yet! None of you are allowed to touch anything in Miss's room!"
Lin Yan Xi rubbed her eyes, and the shout woke her up.
The two maids acted as if facing a great enemy, using a long bench to barricade the door, showing a resolute stance to protect Lin Yan Xi.
Tang Chao turned and saw Lin Yan Xi sitting by the bedside. She managed to compose herself and said, "Miss, they say you are leaving Nan Min and have been ordered to come and pack your belongings."
Lin Yan Xi's heart sank. She had cried herself to sleep after returning yesterday. It seemed her mother had truly made up her mind to send her away.
Tang Chao said angrily, "These people must be trying to bully us again, passing off false orders. How could Madam send Miss away?"
Lin Yan Xi smiled helplessly and said, "Help me wash up."
She walked to the door and moved the long bench away, allowing those outside to enter.
"Miss..." Tang Chao cried urgently. Li Zi tugged at Tang Chao's sleeve and shook her head at her with red eyes.
Separated by a screen, Lin Yan Xi saw Tang Chao crying while combing her hair in front of the mirror.
Li Zi held a light apricot-colored long dress with red eyes.
On the other side of the screen, there was the commotion of servants entering the room to move things.
Tang Chao, holding the comb, said indignantly, "Miss, if you leave, I'll leave with you."
Li Zi quickly echoed, "I want to go too!"
She clearly remembered how Li Zi had died miserably before her eyes in her previous life, and thus knew the loyalty of both of them.
"Don't worry, I won't leave."
Until she was completely out of danger in the Grand Tutor's manor, she would not go anywhere.
"Come, let's go to the main hall and see."
When Lin Yan Xi arrived at the main hall, she saw Jiang Wan directing servants to pack things.
They were truly eager to send her away.
Her heart turned cold, and she stood quietly on the side, watching Jiang Wan's busy figure with cold eyes.
When Jiang Wan turned and met her chilling gaze, her expression paused for a moment. Then, she forced what she thought was a gentle smile, hoping to mend the mother-daughter relationship.
She didn't want Lin Yan Xi to hate her even as she left.
She walked to Lin Yan Xi and said, "Zhao Zhao, come and see if anything is missing. Mother will get it for you."
As Jiang Wan's hand reached out to hold Lin Yan Xi's arm, Lin Yan Xi flinched and took half a step back, avoiding physical contact.
Lin Ze's face was filled with sorrow. "Zhao Zhao, if you don't want to go, I'll discuss it with your mother again."
Jiang Wan shot Lin Ze a fierce glare. "What's there to discuss? You're taking on all the good deeds."
Lin Ze said no more, his gaze towards Lin Yan Xi filled with reluctance and guilt.
Lin Yan Xi understood that her father was in a difficult position caught between them. She also had something she didn't understand: why was Jiang Wan so determined to drive her away?
Just as she was about to ask Jiang Wan if there was a hidden reason behind this, Lin Shi Bai, with Zhao Yin Yin, entered the main hall. His eyes widened at the sight of the chests filled with gold and silver treasures.
Zhao Yin Yin picked up a string of pearls from a chest and exclaimed, "These are South Sea pearls? Each one is priceless, and they're strung into a necklace? Perfectly round and pure white, tsk tsk tsk."
She held a string up to her neck, then directly tried to stuff it into her sleeve.
Tang Chao saw this and hurried forward, saying impolitely to Zhao Yin Yin, "Young Madam, these belong to our second young lady."
Zhao Yin Yin glared at her. "What second young lady? Anything in the Grand Tutor's manor belongs to the Master. Since it belongs to the Master, it belongs to Shi Bai, and therefore it belongs to me!"
"What's wrong with me taking one piece from this box full of jewels? The richer you are, the stingier you become!"
Tang Chao frowned. "Young Madam, what you said is improper. These items are the bride price from Madam, prepared for Miss's journey. What do they have to do with the Master or the young master? Our Miss is not a person who nitpicks. If you asked her for it, she might have given it to you. But if you take it without asking, the nature of the act is different."
Lin Shi Bai had intended to mock Lin Yan Xi. However, hearing the commotion, he had to come and see.
His gaze fell on Tang Chao. He hadn't returned home for many years, and this maid had grown into such a beautiful young woman.
"Yin Yin, return that item. Don't make it difficult for the little maid."
Zhao Yin Yin was already humiliated being lectured by a mere maid. Seeing Lin Shi Bai staring at the maid, her anger flared.
"Fine, Lin Shi Bai! You've grown bold. You're flirting with this little slut right under my nose."
"You glib, seductive creature! Today, I'll let you know who the mistress is!"
She dared not do anything to Lin Shi Bai, but she raised her hand to slap Tang Chao's face.
Tang Chao, used to speaking her mind and often acting impulsively, did not expect Zhao Yin Yin to resort to physical violence. She was momentarily stunned and couldn't react.
At the critical moment when the palm was about to strike, Lin Yan Xi shielded her with her body, taking the slap on her ear.
"Miss..." Tears welled up in Tang Chao's eyes.
Lin Ze had never liked Zhao Yin Yin. However, she was currently carrying the Lin family's descendant, so he had grudgingly tolerated her.
But she, relying on her pregnancy, had repeatedly tested Lin Ze's patience. Now, she dared to strike his beloved daughter.
Zhao Yin Yin hadn't expected her slap to miss and land on Lin Yan Xi's cheek. She was momentarily panicked. Before she could explain, Lin Ze pushed his daughter behind him and, in a fit of rage, retaliated with a slap.
"Slap!"
The slap landed squarely on Zhao Yin Yin's face. Her eyes widened in terror. The next moment, she angrily pointed at Lin Ze and screamed, "Why did you hit me! I'm carrying the Lin family's flesh and blood! Do you people in the Grand Tutor's manor have no conscience? Are you all ganging up to bully me?"
Lin Shi Bai was also angry at his father's favoritism. "Yin Yin just hit the wrong person. Why is Father so furious?"
Lin Ze's face turned ashen, his eyes wide with fury. He felt both hatred and anger towards Lin Shi Bai and raised his hand to deliver another slap.
"Father!" Lin Shi Bai covered his face and looked at Lin Ze in disbelief.
No matter how much trouble he caused in the past, Lin Ze had never hit him. Today, for Lin Yan Xi, he had completely lost face.
Lin Ze roared, "What do you mean 'just hit the wrong person'? She hit the legitimate daughter of my Grand Tutor's manor! Your sister! Hitting Zhao Zhao is like hitting the Grand Tutor's manor, like hitting my face!"
"Listen to the vulgar things she said, 'Anything in the Grand Tutor's manor belongs to you, Lin Shi Bai'? Does the foundation of my Lin family, built painstakingly over a hundred years, become someone else's just because you married a new wife? Did you, Lin Shi Bai, teach her these ideas?"
"As the eldest sister-in-law, you disrespect elders and children, always trying to gain an advantage. Have your ambitions even reached Zhao Zhao? I tell you, even if Zhao Zhao doesn't want her things, they are not for others to pick up. They have absolutely nothing to do with your second branch."
Lin Shi Bai, covering his face, knew that Zhao Yin Yin's words were inappropriate. He glared fiercely at Zhao Yin Yin, thinking this foolish woman only caused him trouble.
He also felt resentment towards Lin Ze for favoring Lin Yan Xi so much, but he couldn't act on it.
Zhao Yin Yin, already feeling wronged by being slapped and seeing Lin Shi Bai not taking her side, became enraged. "You're bullying me like this, I'm not having this child!"