The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 5

Guests Who Are Not Invited

The Qu Marquis Manor originally thought no one would come calling until the next day, but unexpectedly, someone sent a calling card¹ today. The official daughter of the Lin Prime Minister Manor, Lin Xizhao², had sent a calling card, wishing to visit the frightened Qu Sheng³.

Sitting in her room, Qu Sheng listened to the guard’s report, blinking her eyes. She hadn’t seemed to expect that the Son of Heaven would send someone to probe for details so quickly. But that was fine too; an early visit was better, lest a long night brings many dreams⁴.

Qu Sheng sent the guard outside, while she herself lay down on the daybed⁵.

Although Lin Xizhao was also young, she was, after all, a seven-year-old girl from the Prime Minister’s manor. Whether it was her posture or her speech, she was first-class, leaving no room for criticism.

Jin Yunfei⁶ had someone invite Lin Xizhao into the manor and personally led her to Qu Sheng’s courtyard.

“Xizhao has come uninvited, disturbing Auntie Qu⁷. I give my greetings to Auntie Qu.”

Lin Xizhao had changed into a more casual outfit: an embroidered moon-white silk dress⁸, with lotus-pink shoes embroidered with silver thread on her feet. When she curtsied, the hem of her dress swayed, partially concealing and revealing her form. Jin Yunfei listened to her gentle and graceful tone, which was just like the Prime Minister’s wife’s, and nodded, but her gaze unconsciously drifted to Lin Xizhao’s hands.

As Lin Xizhao lowered her head, she didn’t hear Jin Yunfei’s voice. When she looked up, she found that Jin Yunfei seemed to be sizing her up.

At that moment, Jin Yunfei also seemed to realize her own impropriety and hurriedly smiled, “It’s no disturbance at all. My Sheng’er will be happy that you could come.”

Lin Xizhao smiled and straightened up, saying, “I came in a hurry and didn’t bring anything. The chef in our manor is an old master who retired from the Imperial Kitchen. He made a few kinds of pastries, and I hope Sheng-meimei will like them.”

As Lin Xizhao spoke, she had the accompanying maidservant hand over the food box⁹. She didn’t mention her mother or father, which meant she was representing only herself.

Jin Yunfei had someone accept the food box and led Lin Xizhao towards Qu Sheng’s small courtyard.

Upon entering the small, tidy courtyard with its lush foliage, Lin Xizhao saw the guard standing outside Qu Sheng’s door from a distance.

When the guard saw them approaching, his sharp eyes moved quickly. He walked a few steps forward, cupped his hands in a salute¹⁰, and said in a low voice, “Madam, the young miss has already fallen asleep.”

Hearing this, Jin Yunfei looked at Lin Xizhao. Lin Xizhao understood and smiled gracefully, “Since Sheng-meimei is already asleep, then Xizhao will come to visit another day.”

Hearing that Lin Xizhao’s words didn’t sound like false pleasantries, Jin Yunfei smiled warmly, “It’s no trouble.” Then she turned to the guard, Feng Qi¹¹, and said, “Go and wake the young miss. She has slept enough today, it’s time for her to be awake.”

The guard didn’t object upon hearing this. He went to the door and opened it. Seeing this, Lin Xizhao seemed to feel a bit apologetic. Just as she was about to stop him, the guard Feng Qi had already entered the room.

Jin Yunfei invited Lin Xizhao into Qu Sheng’s room. After the two were seated, it wasn’t long before Qu Sheng came out from the inner room.

A tiny little thing, she was still rubbing her eyes as if she had just woken up. She blinked and looked at the people in front of her, but in the next moment, her gaze shifted to the food placed on the table.

Qu Sheng paid no mind to anyone, walked straight over, climbed onto a chair, and reached out her small hand to grab a pastry.

Seeing this, Jin Yunfei quickly grabbed her hand and coaxed her softly, “Sheng’er, be good. You can only eat after washing your hands.”

Hearing the voice and being stopped, reluctance appeared on Qu Sheng’s small face. She tried to move her hand, found she couldn’t, and then reached out with her other hand. As soon as she got a pastry, she put it into her mouth without hesitation.

As her little mouth worked, her eyes never left the plate beside her. After Jin Yunfei let go of her hand with a sigh of resignation, Qu Sheng reached out again, pulled the plate in front of her, and held it in her arms as if to take it away.

“Sheng’er, you can’t be like this.” Jin Yunfei’s tone became a little urgent as she watched Qu Sheng try to take the entire plate.

Qu Sheng seemed not to understand. After chewing the pastry in her mouth and swallowing it whole, she tried to leave with the plate. Jin Yunfei’s eyes were full of sorrow, but she was helpless. After Qu Sheng returned to the inner room with the plate, Jin Yunfei turned to Lin Xizhao with an embarrassed smile, “Sheng’er has had a withdrawn personality since she was little, she doesn’t like to talk…” Jin Yunfei’s words seemed to be trying hard to cover something up, yet there was nothing to hide it with.

It was true that Qu Sheng had a withdrawn personality, and it was also true that she didn’t like to talk, but the implied matter that followed was not true at all. Qu Sheng was not a fool; on the contrary, she was more intelligent than any other child at this stage.

Lin Xizhao had seen this side of Qu Sheng in the great hall, and this time was much better than the last. Seeing the helpless sorrow on Jin Yunfei’s face, her fair and slightly rosy cheeks paused for a moment. She quickly understood the meaning and said in a soft, delicate voice, “Sheng-meimei is still small. It will be better when she’s a little older. I didn’t like to talk much when I was little either.”

Lin Xizhao changed the subject, only asking about her health, and then stopped discussing Qu Sheng with Jin Yunfei. She sat for a while longer, and then a cool autumn rain began to fall outside. The thread-like rain grew heavier, and Lin Xizhao had no choice but to get up and prepare to take her leave.

After eating the pastries, Qu Sheng played by herself in the courtyard. Although she seemed dazed, when the rain fell on her head, she knew to cover her head and run towards the house. Lin Xizhao watched as the guard helped Qu Sheng tidy her clothes and brush the water droplets from her body, carefully observing the expression on her face. There seemed to be no resistance at all.

Watching Qu Sheng go inside and sit on the floor to play by herself, Lin Xizhao pondered for a few moments, then said her goodbyes and left.

The reason she came today was, one, because she hadn’t managed to lead Qu Sheng away from the great hall in time, causing her to be frightened. Two, she felt a sense of guilt in her heart; if she had stopped it in time, she wouldn’t have been teased by the eldest young miss of the Cheng family.

In short, she felt bad about it, which is why she came to visit. It was just that on this trip, she seemed to have learned a few things.

Jin Yunfei personally saw Lin Xizhao off and said that in a few days, she would bring Qu Sheng to their manor to thank her in person for her help at that time.

In the small courtyard of the Qu Marquis Manor, Qu Sheng stood outside, watching the departing Lin Xizhao. She seemed not to believe that Lin Xizhao had left so easily. It wasn’t until a guard came to report that the Prime Minister’s manor carriage was far away that she calmed down and returned to her room.

In the evening, Qu Sheng did not appear at the dinner table. She had eaten far too many pastries today, and her little stomach couldn’t handle it. Although the faces of the Qu family were not exactly showing knitted brows that do not unfold¹², they were not as relaxed as before.

After dinner, everyone returned to their own courtyards. Jin Yunfei went to check on Qu Sheng first. Qu Sheng was sitting upright at her writing desk, not slacking on her schoolwork. Seeing her mother’s worried expression, she put down her brush and ink, washed up early, and lay down on the bed.

Watching her daughter fall asleep, Jin Yunfei sat on the edge of the bed and tucked her in. She looked at her a few more times, as if she wished to speak, yet stopped herself, and reluctantly left. She wanted to stay and keep her company, but Qu Sheng had long since had her own room and didn’t like having someone beside her when she slept. Seeing that her daughter’s expression showed no fear, she dismissed the idea of staying with her.

It was raining tonight, and the weather had turned cool. Qu Sheng had the guards rest early, leaving only one maidservant to watch the door. But tonight, an unexpected guest arrived.

Qu Sheng was only a three-year-old child, and she slept very soundly, so she didn’t notice a pair of wet shoes inside the room, walking step by step towards the edge of her bed.

When Qu Sheng felt the chill, her whole body stiffened for a moment. The person holding her, felt the little doll in their arms move and let out a laugh. The voice was rough, yet eerily demonic in the darkness.

Hearing the voice, Qu Sheng did not move again. At this moment, she knew that even if she moved, she would not be able to break free.

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The author has something to say:

Lin Xizhao: “She doesn’t look foolish, but she also looks foolish.”

Qu Sheng: “Stop thinking about it. I’m coming to your house to play tomorrow.”

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