Chapter 32

A good hairpin had gone missing, and Yiling thought for a long time but couldn’t figure out where it had gone wrong.

Yesterday, she had clearly asked Mama Cao to place it on the mirror table. How could it have disappeared?

Knowing that the item entrusted to Yiling by the Crown Princess had gone missing, Mama Cao was also very anxious.

“I clearly placed the hairpin on the mirror table; there is no mistake!” Mama Cao said firmly, “But someone must have moved it!”

The maids who usually served closely around her all shook their heads, swearing that they hadn’t touched anything on the mirror table.

“Try looking more carefully,” Yiling said, furrowing her brow. “Perhaps it fell into some corner.”

So everyone began searching thoroughly; even Mallow, who was still recovering from an injury, came to lend a hand.

An hour passed, and Linfeng Yuan had been turned upside down, but the golden hairpin was nowhere to be found.

Now, the situation had become serious.

This hairpin was a birthday gift from the Crown Prince, and its significance was paramount.

Moreover, the Crown Princess had helped Yiling on many occasions, and now that she had entrusted Yi Ling with a small task, it had turned out like this. How could Yiling face her?

“The lacquer box is still sitting properly on the mirror table, but the golden hairpin is missing. It must be some reckless thief who saw the hairpin was valuable and stole it!” Mama Cao said angrily. “Madam, let us question them one by one, and we’ll make someone confess and return the hairpin!”

With that, the entire room of servants trembled and knelt, all insisting they had never taken anything.

Yiling carefully observed each servant, and none of them seemed to be the type who would dare to steal from their master.

But if it wasn’t stolen, then how could such a large golden hairpin have just disappeared without a trace?

“Then ask them properly,” Yiling said.

After a pause, she added, “I will give you another chance. If it is returned now, I will go easy on the punishment.”

Just as she finished speaking, a maid from the front courtyard came to report.

“Madam, Mrs. Zhou has come to visit. Would you like to see her?”

“Mrs. Zhou?” Yiling asked, “Which Mrs. Zhou?”

“She is the wife of Zhou Ge Lao’s younger brother, the daughter-in-law of the right senior official of the Daolu Division.”

The maid’s words made Yiling remember. The last time Mrs. Zhou had visited, it seemed they had exchanged a few words.

Realizing that Mrs. Zhou was a family member of Zhou Ge Lao, Yiling didn’t have the courage to refuse and decided to set aside the matter of the missing hairpin for the moment.

“Please, let her in.”

Before long, a dignified, well-rounded noblewoman entered, accompanied by a group of servants carrYing an array of supplements.

After greeting her, Mrs. Zhou spent some time expressing concern for Yiling’s health. Upon hearing Yiling’s reassurance that she was fine, Mrs. Zhou then said, “Have you heard of Doctor Qin from Jishitang in the southern part of the city? Although his medical skills may not compare to the imperial physicians, his expertise in dietary therapy to expel cold is top-notch. A few years ago, he even prescribed for Her Majesty the queen mother.”

Seeing that Yiling shook her head and said she hadn’t heard of him, Mrs. Zhou immediately said, “How fortunate! I’ve brought him with me, and he’s waiting outside. If you don’t mind, he can check your pulse.”

Though the suggestion was well-intentioned, Yiling was preoccupied with the missing hairpin and didn’t have the time to let a doctor check her pulse.

“Thank you, Mrs. Zhou, for your kindness. However, I’m currently using the prescription from Lin Court, and it’s proving effective. I’ll consider inviting Doctor Qin another time.”

By the time Yiling had finished speaking, it was getting late, yet Mrs. Zhou only smiled and nodded, showing no intention of leaving.

Yiling sensed that Mrs. Zhou still had something to say, so she asked, “If there’s something else, Mrs. Zhou, please feel free to speak.”

Mrs. Zhou immediately smiled brightly and said, “I knew you were straightforward, Madam. Indeed, I do have a favor to ask.”

Yiling had heard a bit about Mrs. Zhou’s situation before.

Her father-in-law and Zhou Ge Lao were full-blooded brothers, but one was filled with intellect while the other with wealth.

Fortunately, Zhou Ge Lao was not indifferent to his relatives and took care of the extended family as much as he could, especially his younger brother.

When the Emperor’s interest in religion began to grow, Zhou Ge Lao managed to find an opportunity to arrange for his younger brother to take up a position in the Daolu Division.

“Don’t be fooled by this official position being lowly and without real power; with Emperor Renle, it’s still considered a highly lucrative post.

With the prime minister covering her and her own husband having a lucrative position, Yiling couldn’t understand why anyone would need to turn to her for help.

Yiling: “Madam, please, go ahead.”

“It’s like this,” Mrs. Zhou said with a smile. “I have an incompetent son named Xinghuai, and he’s already twenty-three.”

“Xinghuai was weak as a child, so he couldn’t pass the imperial exams. Fortunately, the heavens have blessed him, and his health has improved. Now, he’s even stronger than most men.”

She continued, “But… now, it’s hard for him to take the exams again, so I’ve come to ask Madam if you could help him find a job.”

Yiling almost wanted to ask who gave her the audacity to think that a woman like her could help find someone a job.

But she politely said, “I… I am just a woman; even if I wanted to help, I would be powerless.”

Mrs. Zhou immediately grabbed her hand and said, “Who in the capital doesn’t know that Madam and Lord Xie share a strong bond, like Mandarin ducks? If you speak to Lord Xie about this, there will surely be hope.”

Yiling: “…”

Who spread the rumor that she and Xie Hengzhi were like Mandarin ducks?

Were they the kind of Mandarin ducks that just lie on the same bed and don’t speak to each other?

Yiling awkwardly withdrew her hand and said, “I’ve heard that Zhou Ge Lao dotes on his nephew greatly. Madam, why not go directly to Zhou Ge Lao?”

As if she hadn’t already tried.

Zhou Ge Lao only had a few granddaughters, so he treated this nephew like his own son.

Two years ago, he put him in the Daolu Division, thinking he might follow in his grandfather’s footsteps. However, Zhou Xinghuai didn’t like the job in the Daolu Division; he thought dealing with those eccentric priests all day was boring and lacked prestige.

So, Zhou Ge Lao decided that if his nephew couldn’t follow a civil path, he should go into the military.

But sending him to the military camp was out of the question. A young master who had been spoiled all his life could never endure that hardship. Besides, if there were any battles, the soldiers would be going to war for real. What if this precious Zhou family heir lost his life?

Then they considered making him a royal guard.

But they were told that in times of peace, being a royal guard was no different from being a servant.

So, Zhou Ge Lao asked his nephew what he wanted.

The tall, sturdy nephew proudly said that if he were to be a guard, he wanted to be an imperial guard, or at the very least, serve in the East Palace.

“An imperial guard?”

Yiling nearly laughed out loud.

Such bold words, as if speaking of a top-tier position that a noble family’s son would easily attain.

Not to mention that a third-rank guard was a fifth-rank official position, a job that didn’t require much physical labor, earned respect, and offered easy promotion. There were countless examples of guards rising to high positions.

No wonder they came to her for help. Even Zhou Ge Lao wouldn’t have the face to ask Xie Hengzhi for this.

Currently, the head of the imperial guards was Xie Hengzhi. If he agreed, it would indeed be a small matter.

Although Yiling was secretly amused, she didn’t want to refuse Mrs. Zhou and be the bad guy.

After all, it was Xie Hengzhi’s business, and how it was handled was none of her concern.

“I understand. I’ll convey this to my husband later.”

Right now, the most pressing matter was finding the princess’s missing golden hairpin.

If she found out who had stolen it, the thief would not get away easily!

After court, as Xie Hengzhi left the Ganqing Palace and was heading to the Wenhua Palace, a cold wind blew, and he sneezed.

The prince, walking beside him, asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xie Hengzhi didn’t pay much attention, replying softly, “I might still be recovering from a cold.”

Upon hearing this, the prince felt a pang of guilt.

If it weren’t for his younger sister being so reckless, neither Xie Hengzhi nor his wife would have fallen into the water.

But the real culprit…

The prince lifted his head and saw the figure of the crown prince not far away, evidently coming out of the Cining Palace.

His elder brother had fallen from grace early this year due to a scandal and had been severely punished. He rarely came to court anymore. Everyone thought he would quiet down, but he hadn’t been at peace, and now he was using his own sister for his own ambitions.

To fight for the position of heir was one thing, but why drag a young, innocent girl into it?

Moreover, up until now, the prince had been coming and going in the palace without ever asking about Princess Yu’an.

“Strutting around like this, does he really think we can’t do anything about him?”

Following the prince’s gaze, Xie Hengzhi also saw the crown prince walking with a carefree demeanor.

“Don’t rush,” Xie Hengzhi narrowed his eyes and said softly, “Let him enjoy his moment for a few more days.”

After watching the crown prince’s figure disappear into the distance, the two of them turned and headed for the Wenhua Palace.

On the way, the prince casually asked, “What did Zhou Ge Lao say to you just now?”

“What did he say?”

Xie Hengzhi smiled and said, “He just asked me to help find an imperial guard position for his nephew.”

“That useless nephew of his?”

The prince walked slowly, mocking, “He dotes on his grandson, but look at what kind of person he raised.”

After a moment, he suddenly asked, “Did you agree?”

“Naturally.”

Xie Hengzhi replied indifferently, “My mentor has a request. I couldn’t refuse. As for his future, that depends on his luck.”

The prince thought for a moment and agreed. There was no need to upset Zhou Ge Lao over such a trivial matter.

The prime minister had grown increasingly senile over the years, sometimes even making mistakes when writing. It was likely that he wouldn’t be around much longer, so it was better to just appease him.

The two walked at a leisurely pace, and soon Li Chun caught up from behind to find Xie Hengzhi.

The Crown Prince, seeing this, decided to leave first. However, just before he left, he glanced at Xie Hengzhi’s hairpin and casually remarked, “This new hairpin of yours is quite exquisite.”

Xie Hengzhi raised a hand to adjust it and replied calmly, “It’s okay.”

The Crown Prince did not say anything more and turned to leave.

Once he had gone far, Li Chun spoke up, “Today, Mrs. Zhou went to the manor to visit Madam
.”
“Was it because of her son?”

“She said she was visiting Madam and brought many supplements. What exactly they discussed, I don’t know.”

It was most likely about that matter.

But even if the Zhou family cared for their only son, there was no need to trouble those at his household.

In the afternoon, a simple, old carriage quietly left the Xie residence.

Yiling was dressed in a plain, simple coat and skirt, with a plain-colored leather cloak over it.

She wore a modest headpiece, almost as if she wanted to wear the word “low-profile” on her face.

She had no choice, as the household had been unable to find the Crown Princess’s golden hairpin. Despite the servants’ questioning, they had found nothing.

So, she had to personally pick a similar golden hairpin to take to the Crown Princess to apologize.

She wanted to avoid attracting attention, so she specifically chose a carriage without the Xie family crest, instructed the guards to pose as coachmen, and had two of the most skilled guards dress in common clothes to follow her. Only then did she dare to go out.

When passing by the Zhou Xiangji in the East Market, Mallow lifted the carriage curtain, excitedly saying, “Madam, you love Zhou Xiangji’s money pastries the most. Shall I go buy some for you?”

Turning around, she was met with Yiling’s glare.

At such a time, she was still thinking about food.

“Faster.”

Yiling could not help but urge the coachman. Perhaps the Crown Princess would come tomorrow, and she must find a similar golden hairpin today.

Hurrying to the best jewelry shop in the East Market, Yiling quickly disembarked from the carriage.

Just as she stood firm, a sudden sound of fast approaching hooves rang out.

In the blink of an eye, the people around them fell over, shouting in alarm.

As soon as Yiling heard that sound, she felt a chill run through her body and instinctively hid into a corner. The guards immediately shielded her, vigilantly watching the surroundings.

After regaining her composure, Yiling finally saw what had happened—

A man, followed by his servants, had ridden past and kicked over a bucket of fish being sold by an elderly woman on the roadside.

No wonder Yiling had felt a chill on her toes earlier—it was because the bucket containing the fish had tipped over, spilling ice-cold water onto her shoes.

She was fine, but when she turned around, she saw that the elderly woman, knocked down to the ground, was drenched in ice water, her lips turning blue as she cried out while trying to pick up her fish.

“My fish! My fish! You heartless beast… is there no law anymore!”

Yiling shuddered at the sight of the woman, recalling the time when she herself had fallen into cold water.

Moreover, the woman was elderly with gray hair.

Just as Yiling was about to speak, the sound of hooves drew closer again.

Turning around, she saw the man, who had initially ridden far away, return after hearing the woman’s cries.

“Why are you crying? Crying for yourself?” the man sneered, looking at the elderly woman from atop his horse. “I haven’t even complained about your stinky fish dirtying my horse, and you’re crying!”

As he spoke, he pulled the reins, and the horse’s hoof kicked over another bucket.

“Law? I am the law!”

Seeing the man’s arrogant behavior, the elderly woman, realizing he was probably a young master from a powerful family, dared not scold him and could only cry and beg for mercy.

“I didn’t know that the capital had gained a royal family member who could rewrite the laws of Great Dynasty.”

Yiling, usually not one to stir up trouble, could not stand to see such bullying of an elderly woman.

“May I ask which prince you are, and when did you revise the laws of Great Dynasty?”

The man only then noticed Yiling standing in the corner.

When he saw her, he was immediately stunned by her beauty. Despite having seen many beautiful women in the capital, none had been as ethereal as her.

Noticing her simple attire and the fact that she was accompanied only by a maid, he assumed she must be a wife from a regular merchant family.

Thinking this, he no longer held back.

With a change in his demeanor, he dismounted and approached Yiling with a playful smile, bowing to her.

“I am not a prince, just the nephew of the current Prime Minister.”

Upon hearing his identity, the onlookers quickly dispersed, not daring to stay, leaving only the guards from the Xie residence still standing by.

Yiling stood frozen, speechless.

It was him?! What a coincidence!

When Zhou, the elderly woman, had celebrated her birthday, Wang Xinghuai had injured his leg in a horse race and had been recuperating at home. Naturally, Yiling had not met him before.

At this moment, he assumed Yiling had been intimidated by his status and could not resist approaching her, saying, “I wonder which household you are from, Madam?”

Thinking that he was the cherished nephew of the Prime Minister, Yiling did not want to cause a scene.

Noticing the heavy perfume on him, Yiling covered her nose and took a step back, saying, “You do not need to know which household I belong to. According to the laws of Great Dynasty, the damage done to someone’s fish must be compensated at market value. Since it is winter, the elderly woman is likely to catch a cold. You should cover the cost of the doctor’s fee and medicine.”

“Agreed, agreed.”

Wang Xinghuai pulled out a silver ingot and tossed it to the ground without even looking at the elderly woman. Instead, he leaned closer to Yiling and whispered, “But if you don’t tell me which household you’re from, I will be thinking of you day and night. Where can I find you then?”

“…You!”

Yiling had lived two lifetimes and had endured many kinds of suffering, but she had never been humiliated so publicly.

However, she also knew that if she argued with him in front of so many people, as a woman, there would be no good outcome for her.

And right now, the golden hairpin is more important. Once she returned, she had plenty of ways to deal with this situation.

So, although Yiling’s face flushed with anger, she said nothing more and turned to head into the jewelry shop.

Just as she took a step, Wang Xinghuai extended his leg.

Yi Ling, caught off guard, tripped. Wang Xinghuai immediately reached out to pull her into his arms.

Luckily, Mallow was quick enough to support Yiling first, and Wang Xinghuai only managed to grab her arm.

But his intentions were clear.

At such a time, he shamelessly smiled and said, “Madam, do be careful. If you fall into my arms, I’ll have no choice but to carry you home.”

Mallow was startled, her face turning red as she trembled and said, “Do you know who my lady’s husband is? Are you seeking death?”

“Is Madam’s husband really that formidable?” Wang Xinghuai said with a smile, all the while using his foot to nudge Yiling’s shoe. “Then why don’t you find some time to experience for yourself who is stronger, your husband or me?”

It was hard to imagine how Mrs. Zhou could shamelessly seek this kind of man for the position of Imperial Guard.

Yiling was furious, but her face remained unnervingly calm.

She glanced down at Wang Xinghuai’s outstretched leg and coldly said, “Since you don’t know where to put your leg, why not just get rid of it altogether? How does that sound?”

Today Xie Hengzhi returned earlier than usual.

As he stepped into the Xie residence, the servants were busy with their usual tasks, everything as normal.

Yiling had taken her medicine and was feeling somewhat drowsy, with an unusual flush on her face.

She was holding the golden hairpin she had bought today, admiring it so intently that she didn’t even notice Xie Hengzhi had entered.

“Did Mrs. Zhou come to see you today?”

Xie Hengzhi walked over and directly asked.

After a moment, Yiling slowly looked up, as if waking from a dream, and stared blankly at him. She softly answered with a quiet “mm.”

Xie Hengzhi asked, “Was it to talk about her son’s business?”

Upon hearing this, Yiling’s voice grew even softer.

“Mm.”

Seeing her shrink back in such a way, Xie Hengzhi said, “In the future, if anyone asks for your help and you find it difficult, you can refuse. You don’t have to worry about anything else.”

“Really?”

Yiling looked up, blinking as she stared at him.

Seeing her like this, Xie Hengzhi thought that she must be enduring this because she feared offending people.

He sighed deeply and said, “I will always have your back.”

Yiling replied, “This afternoon, I had someone break her son’s legs.”

Xie Hengzhi: “…”