Chapter 16: Layout
"He's so good." Xi Che remained silent, his dark gaze deeply fixed on her back, and after a while, he ambiguously replied, "Then I must work even harder to learn from him."
Ji Li, suddenly realizing it, made a sound of agreement, but then was a bit confused, and straightforwardly asked, "How can you learn someone's personality? Cousin is naturally very gentle."
Feeling that something was off about her words, she added, "People's personality and temperament are mostly innate, each person is different, just as... I think your own personality is also very good."
"Moreover... you've grown up, what more is there to learn? You should focus on studying those classical books and make up for what you missed before." If the future power figure turned illiterate because of her interference, she would be guilty.
The young man stared at Ji Li's serious expression, tightly biting his lips.
Outside, the light dimmed completely, as Yun Yi asked if they needed dinner.
Ji Li looked at him as advised, "You've asked what you should and shouldn't, are you at ease now?"
Knowing she was soft-hearted, Xi Che pursed his lips and wanted to try his luck again, "I see it's getting late, I..."
"Stop."
She glanced at him, "Go eat in your own room." She was not falling for it this time.
Xi Che had no choice but to leave reluctantly.
Having resolved the sudden issue, Ji Li changed her demeanor, "How is it?" quickly getting back to business.
These two maids had completely different personalities; Yun Yi was usually composed and self-reliant, but now she showed a hint of joy.
Walking in slowly, she said, "As you expected, I did find out some things about the Lin family." She had been with Ji Li since she was five years old, her mistress treated her exceptionally well, and she was able to alleviate her worries and show a smile.
In the current palace, there were two factions: one led by Empress Wang, and the other favored was Concubine Lin, who held great influence.
"The Lin family has always been powerful, with a subtle dominance over the empress. Driven by interests, they have quite a few hidden wrongdoings." Ji Li was not surprised.
In her previous life, the Lin family was involved in countless dirty scandals.
But with the influence of the imperial family, how could the emperor turn a blind eye to their actions?
It was all just a game to use them as scapegoats.
In her eyes, they were all pawns, just like the generals' manors, all abandoned in the end.
Thinking of Emperor Chongan and Xie Yuncheng's similar tactics, she smirked ironically.
Someone was rising unexpectedly, threatening to change the status quo in the harem that had been accumulating for over a decade, so a bit of a stir was normal.
She asked, "Have they made their move?"
"Yes, it's likely to be an ambush."
"The Fourth Prince's foster mother, Concubine Lingfei, is regaining power, and the concubine's side must be feeling the pressure."
Concubine Lingfei's uncle died in the turmoil of the previous dynasty's fraud cheating scandal, known for his integrity and aversion to power.
Due to his stubborn nature, he offended many, and when he was framed, no one spoke up for him.
It was only years after his death that his students helped clear his name.
Behind such a person were thousands of commoner scholars.
"When a prince is favored, the prince's mother naturally has a privileged position in the harem." Ji Li picked up a piece of the newly made crispy duck from the kitchen, took a bite, and added, "They complement each other and grow rapidly, so the Lin family definitely won't just stand by."
Concubine Ling's parents passed away early, and she was raised by her uncle from a young age. In a sense, these people can also be considered standing behind Xie Yuncheng. to some extent.
With a soft chuckle, Ji Li asked, "But, did she choose these people herself?" Calculating the days, it should be time to make a move when she goes to the palace. Elder Lin would not allow such foolishness to occur at this time.
If she hadn't experienced a rebirth, she wouldn't have believed that the young uncle of Minister Lin had secretly kept a woman from the border as a concubine.
This time, catching this little lackey was a pleasant surprise.
Yun'er handed over a letter, which she carefully read through before coldly remarking, "The influence of the nobility, the act of climbing the social ladder... have always existed since ancient times."
"But these two have acted recklessly and arrogantly. Letting them run rampant like this until now is enough."
With the odds against them, she decided to employ a strategy of division and conquer to deal with them one by one.
The candlelight flickered, casting a straight line on the letter, where the words "General's Manor" stood out prominently.
She made a final decision, not wanting to take further action, "Let's... do as we did before," she looked at the familiar names on the list, paused briefly, hesitated, but ultimately made up her mind, "have someone forge a letter and send it back to the capital."
As she handed back the letter, the young man's name seemed to pierce through the paper, dropping straight to the bottom.
Elsewhere, a black lacquered screen seemed to isolate everything, leaving only this realm.
Having finished his meal, Xi Che remained blissfully ignorant of being used as bait.
Leaning back in his chair against the screen, he plucked a flower from somewhere and absentmindedly picked off the petals.
He has always known Ji Li to be soft-hearted.
But in the past, he feared that this soft-heartedness would cause trouble for himself and others.
Now that he had an agreement, he felt much more at ease.
Turning his thoughts, he absentmindedly played with the jade pendant at his waist, carefully inspecting it.
The smooth, transparent luster of the glass ornament felt cool to the touch.
Unable to resist, he smirked, amusement twinkling in his dark eyes as he reached for another piece of dessert.
It seemed that, compared to the importance in his heart, he was indeed different from the others.
He turned off the light early and lay down on the bed.
Beneath the canopy, his mood shifted from happiness to uncertainty in a matter of moments.
Thinking about meeting Xu Zexu back in the city the next day, he let out a cold snort.
Gentle?
He was curious to see just how gentle he really was.
The next morning, as the sky brightened and the rooster crowed, Xi Che got up.
Having slept lightly the previous night, he felt a bit dazed in the morning.
Upon arrival, he began his routine horse stance exercises.
Having practiced martial arts before and possessing natural talent, these basic skills were a breeze for him.
Thinking about the slow, gradual progress, Xi Che realized that Ji Li hadn't come to guide him after he had mastered the basics.
Frustrated, he picked up the pace.
After a while of practice, the door to the inner room creaked open.
Since their conversation the previous day, they had unconsciously grown closer.
Speak frankly and honestly.
The young man had already guessed her intention and made a promise, so naturally she wouldn't refuse.
Or rather, what she wanted was this promise.
Taking a deep breath of the morning air, Ji Li let go of the complexities in her heart and said, "I can tell from a distance that you have improved a lot."
"It's because of your good teaching." He smiled and took a few steps closer to her. "What do you want me to learn next?"
The cold morning air grew stronger, with even the breath they exhaled faintly clouded with mist.
Ji Li glanced at him and replied, "No rush." She took the measuring tape handed to her by a maid and gestured to measure herself, saying, "Take a break, measure your body for clothing." Then she waved for the person to leave.
As the weather grew colder and the nights chilled, the mansion needed to purchase a new batch of fabrics for winter clothing.
It had been almost a month since Xi Che arrived at the mansion. Ji Li couldn't pinpoint any specific changes, but it felt like... a vague sensation.
The young man's eyes brightened as he looked at her. "Are you going to make new clothes for me?" He lowered his voice, "Thank you, sister." His tone had a hint of playfulness, layering upon each other.
He looked up, ready to make another teasing remark, but noticed Ji Li looking at him with confusion.
He asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Ji Li replied, "I've always wanted to ask you, why do you sometimes speak in such a peculiar way?"
"Ah? What's peculiar about it?" He smiled playfully, his retort tinged with a hint of coquettishness.
Ji Li met his gaze directly and earnestly said, "Like right now, it's very strange." She nodded again, looking at the young man's blinking eyes.
Seeing him at a loss for words, she changed the subject. "Let's leave that aside for now." She took a few steps forward and gestured for Xi Che to stand straight. "Stand still."
She continued to measure him carefully, as the two maids were busy with other tasks and she was not used to having others serve her closely.
She decided to do it herself, despite not being very skilled at it.
During the activity, the faint scent from the young woman's body wafted over again, bringing a sense of familiarity.
Like the delicate fragrance of dried plum blossoms inside the carved jade incense box hanging in the room, elegant and pure.
As Ji Li measured, she silently recited the measurements.
Her cherry-red lips moved, making it impossible to look away.
Perhaps to ensure accuracy in her measurements, she murmured softly, and Xi Che could hear every word clearly.
"Raise your arm." A sudden prompt came from beside him.
Not reacting in time, he instinctively raised his arm high in response.
This action caused Ji Li to be slightly startled and puzzled. "Are you being silly?" She followed suit by raising her arm as well.
It was only then that Xi Che realized and lowered his arm.
Her lips tightened, and she remained silent.
After a brief moment, she jotted down the accurate measurements and asked him, "By the way, I haven't asked you what color you like?"
Folding the measuring tape and waiting for a response, she turned to see that the person beside her was once again lost in thought.
"Why are you so absent-minded today?" she asked, almost immediately receiving a response.
"I-I like ink black."
Their voices overlapped, and Ji Li inexplicably felt a hint of something unknown.
It felt like she was teasing him.
Even the atmosphere around them seemed to subtly shift, making her cough lightly in an attempt to ease the tension before speaking.
After a moment of silence, she managed to ask, "Do you drink tea...?"
"...I do."
She was waiting for this response, so as soon as she heard him answer, she hurried into the room.
For some reason, she had a gut feeling that it was best to temporarily avoid the situation, to prevent the person from acting strangely again.
However, just as she took a few steps, the young man's voice echoed from a distance, "I'll be late, I need to go!" He seemed genuinely in a hurry, his words carried away on the wind. "We'll have tea another day!"
Listening to the fading sound of his voice, as if he had run off into the distance, she couldn't help but look outside at the sky, which was just beginning to brighten and far from the time when the shop would open.
Ji Li: "..."
It seemed like he was really not feeling well today.