Chapter Fifty-Three: Sudden Change of Events

  First update seeking subscription and pink powder! Continuing with three updates today~

  Pink tickets are also 40 now, plus He Shi Bi Jia Chong, Xiao An still has to continue for several days with three updates, everyone continues to give strength!

  It's time to enter the palace, and the truth will be revealed one by one. You'll also find out about Zhao Yan's life story~

  "I heard that Wu Niang's side is still short of a second-class maid." Rong Mama reminded.

  Lin Zhaoyan naturally knew this, but Lin Ruoyan was too picky. She instinctively didn't want to help her choose a personal maid, lest she be ridiculed and criticized again.

  Furthermore, Lin Ruoyan has a bad temper, and the remaining few maids are all timid and afraid of trouble, fearing that they cannot meet Lin Ruoyan's expectations and also cannot withstand her strict and efficient work attitude.

  "What about this pomegranate that has rendered meritorious service?" Just as Lin Zhaoyan was in a state of distress, Rong Mama pushed the pomegranate in front of her.

  She didn't want to help Pomegranate or anything, she just thought that Pomegranate's bold and fearless personality was very similar to Wu Niang's, and would definitely be able to handle her temper.

  The old lady felt indebted to the fifth daughter and always wanted to pick the best for her, wanting to make her happy.

  Lin Zhaoyan wanted to refuse, but Pomegranate said: "Fourth young lady, rest assured that I will do my best to serve the fifth young lady and help her recover as soon as possible."

  Forget it, she'd rather Lin Ruoyan drag it out until next month anyway.

  But catching a glimpse of pomegranate's deep eyes, which were full of expectation and entreaty, as well as a hint of unspoken sorrow.

  Lin Zhaoyan suddenly felt a pang of sympathy.

  But she didn't let her sympathy overflow, so she gathered her thoughts and turned them over in her mind a thousand times.

  If this pomegranate is indeed a mole sent by Madame Lu or Wan Niang, or if she has some ulterior motive that cannot be revealed, then even if she refuses her now, it's likely that she will make another move from somewhere else later on, and it will be even harder to guard against.

  Why not agree now and then find someone to secretly observe her, turning the tables to gain the upper hand.

  She thought for a moment and then replied: "Alright then! Remember to serve Fifth Young Miss with kindness from now on, don't be lazy or neglect your duties."

  Pomegranate smiled brightly like a flower, "I, your servant, remember it well. I thank Fourth Miss for her kindness!"

  Her smile is like the spring breeze in March, infecting people's hearts.

  There can't be a woman with such a pure and clean smile who is actually a cunning and vicious little person.

  Lin Zhaoyan thought, it's not the best, if it were, she would never let him off lightly.

  The pomegranate fruit really suits Lin Ruoyan's temperament. After taking care of it for only a few days, Lin Ruoyan gradually regained her vitality.

  Today, I heard that Lin Ruoyan can already get out of bed and walk around. The doctor said that after resting for two or three more days, she will be completely recovered.

  Lin Zhaoyan had the small kitchen make Lin Ruoyan's favorite peach blossom pastry to go see her. As soon as she stepped into the courtyard of Qing Xing Pavilion, she heard bursts of laughter coming from inside the house.

  "It's the Fifth Young Lady." Man Shuang said. "It seems that it is indeed all good now."

  "Hmm." Lin Zhaoyan nodded, but his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

  She thought Lin Ruoyan's illness would last until the end of the month, but she didn't expect it to be so quick.

  It seems that this pomegranate is quite a formidable character.

  She gathered her thoughts and stepped into the house.

  Liu, Lin Mama and several maids including Shi Li were all there. Lin Ruoyan sat on the warm kang by the window, seemingly having heard some joke, her eyebrows and eyes filled with joy, her complexion indeed rosier than before.

  Hearing the maid's report of "Fourth Miss has arrived", she subconsciously lifted her head to look towards the door, and a smile froze on her face.

  Liu also looked over. Her face was somewhat complex, and her emotions couldn't be discerned. Fortunately, Lin's mother came forward with a smile and said, "Fourth young lady, how did you come?"

  Lin Ruoyan has been ill for over ten days, and Lin Zhaoyan was afraid of stimulating her, so he didn't come to see her. The servants in the third house also tacitly understood the reason and kept their mouths shut.

  She came today to see her, firstly to confirm whether she had fully recovered, and secondly, of course, to ease the relationship.

  It's been so long since the incident happened, Liu Wenyuan's death has nothing to do with her. Lin Ruoyan has also passed the age of being hot-headed and should have calmed down and thought it through by now.

  But she didn't expect her attitude was still so cold.

  Her behavior made Lin Zhaoyan wish they had never been good before.

  Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, Lin Zhaoyan smiled at Lin's mother and said, "I heard that Ruo Yan is fully recovered, so I specially ordered the kitchen to make her favorite peach blossom pastry to bring to her."

  Man Shuang heard this and handed over a red sandalwood inlaid with gold lacquer food box.

  "Fourth Miss has a good heart." Lin's mother smiled as she took the food box, glanced sideways at Liu's reaction, and then said: "Fourth Miss, please come in and take a seat!"

  Lin Zhaoyan nodded and walked over to sit down on a nearby embroidered couch.

  "As soon as I entered the house, I heard laughter, what's so funny?" She rarely spoke first.

  She never liked doing this kind of thing before, because she knew she wasn't favored, and even if she started the conversation, probably no one would pay attention to her, and she was least likely to invite ridicule.

  But today was different, she had to confirm one thing.

  Lin Ruoyan had turned her face away since she entered the house, without looking at her once. At this moment, hearing the words, she also didn't make a sound, as if she didn't exist.

  The current atmosphere is a bit awkward, completely different from the previous harmony.

  Liu continued, "It's just Shiyou talking about some interesting things she encountered before."

  "Oh." Lin Zhaoyan nodded, but felt strange in his heart.

  Rong Mama said that pomegranates have been sold and resold since childhood, such a person's childhood is probably only miserable, where does the fun come from?

  If she were as optimistic and cheerful as she seemed, she wouldn't have eyes like that.

  Lin Zhaoyan was secretly worried in her heart.

  Since that day, she had been letting Manhua and others secretly observe her, but the result was all the same. Pomegranate did not have any abnormalities, to be more accurate, she did not have any intention of harming or plotting against Lin Ruoyan or Sanfang.

  On the contrary, she showed little interest in everything about the Hou Mansion, except for asking Zi Juan what the fifth young lady liked, and never inquired about anything else.

  This doesn't seem like a normal maid's behavior. A 10-year-old little girl, no matter how clever, can't be calm and composed in a new environment.

  It was when Manhua had just been transferred to Qinfang Pavilion that she also secretly inquired about "what kind of person the Fourth Miss really is".

  Either she is very familiar with Jian'an Marquis's mansion or she doesn't regard Jian'an Marquis's mansion as her safe haven.

  Lin Zhaoyan had a kind of innate intuition. The observation during this period made her feel that Pomegranate was unlikely to be an undercover agent sent by Madame Hou or Wan Niang, and she might have had other purposes.

  As for what this purpose is, she doesn't understand, but at present, it seems that Lin Ruoyan has no impact on the third house.

  Liu saw Lin Zhao's words and looked down in deep thought, secretly sighing a breath.

  She knew that Lin Zhaoyan had a good temper, but he was not good at speaking. The two sisters were in a tiff, and she might be able to hold back her anger and not take it to heart. However, it was rare for her to proactively apologize and try to make amends. This girl had a stubbornness that was even more unyielding than Lin Zhaoyan's.

  "If the child has just recovered and is still quite weak, it's better to come back another day. Let's go home first!" Madam Liu said softly.

  Although she has changed her views on Lin Zhao recently, after all, the one she loves from the heart is still Lin Ruoyan, so naturally everything will be centered around Lin Ruoyan first and she won't let her suffer any grievances.

  Lin Zhaoyan naturally understood this and wouldn't be foolish enough to feel sad, so she nodded and cleverly changed the subject, "Since Ruo Yan is fine, then I can rest assured. Presumably by the end of the month, you'll also enter the palace for selection."

  Liu revealed a relieved smile, "Yes. Thanks to Pomegranate's consolation and comfort, otherwise I really didn't know what to do."

  As expected...

  Lin Zhaoyan furrowed his brow slightly.

  "That day I'll have Shiliu accompany me to the palace, with her by my side, I'm sure to be chosen." Lin Ruoyan gave Lin Zhaoyan a cold glance before finally speaking up.

  The pomegranate lowered its eyes in embarrassment.

  Lin Zhaoyan's expression was slightly stunned, this stone lychee was also a bit too powerful, how could it have gained the trust of Lin Ruoyan in just a few days? She glanced at Zi Juan and Qing Shuang on the side, both looked very wronged.

  At this moment, Liu's personal maid, Ziying, lifted the curtain and entered the room, holding a letter-like object in her hand.

  Liu's eyes lit up instantly, "Did you find out?"

  Ziying took a few steps forward and handed the letter to Liu's wife, saying respectfully: "I've heard everything your husband said."

  Liu took over the letter and hastily opened it.

  Lin Zhaoyan saw that they didn't avoid her, so she also didn't mention leaving and quietly sat back in her original seat.

  Liu quickly scanned the letter, a smile spreading from the corner of her mouth. "Your grandmother is indeed concerned about you, even finding out these small details to help you. If you achieve success in the future, don't forget your grandmother's kindness towards you."

  "I understand." Lin Ruoyan replied while curiously taking over the letter from Liu's hand.

  Hearing it was related to Old Lady Lin, Lin Zhaoyan couldn't help but ask: "Mother, what is it?"

  Liu said with a smile, "It was your grandmother who helped me find out the Empress Dowager's preferences and daily habits. As long as you understand her temperament, you will be chosen."

  So that's how it is.

  Lin Zhaoyan couldn't help but laugh, Old Lady Lin was indeed a master of home fighting, and she was good at using people's hearts.

  The Empress Dowager's preferences and daily habits, there is a quiet consort in the palace who has found out, what could be difficult about that? In fact, she could have revealed these things from the very beginning.

  But she just wouldn't, always pretending to be mysterious and making it seem like she knew some difficult news. When it was finally confirmed that Lin Ruoyan was the one entering the palace, she hurriedly wanted to reveal all this information to her, and even intentionally created an illusion of "I won't tell anyone else, I'll only tell you, see how much I value you, so you must be chosen, you must be grateful to me".

  If she hadn't known Lin Lao Tai's intentions beforehand, she would have thought that Lin Lao Tai was being overly concerned about Lin Ruofeng, just like Liu Shi did.

  Lin Ruoyan also finished reading the letter, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. "The Empress Dowager's likes and dislikes are really strange, she doesn't like roses but likes jasmine, and can't even stand the scent of peonies. Peonies are the king of flowers, I remember when I was a child, I once entered the palace and the Empress's bedroom was filled with peonies."

  "So the Empress has never been favored by the Dowager, not only because she failed to give birth to a crown prince in time, but also because she refused to fawn over the Dowager. Look at your aunt and Consort Duan, they don't even use fragrant things like peony flowers normally. These people all like others to take them seriously, especially those in higher positions. So you must remember these things and let the Dowager feel your sincerity."

  Lin Ruo Yu nodded as if she understood but didn't really understand.

  "Also, you've always liked those cat and dog things. The Empress Dowager has a Persian cat by her side, but it's not something to be trifled with. Be careful not to play with it carelessly, or if you provoke it, even if it just scratches you, losing the face of the Marquis' household would be a big deal."

  "Pomegranate suddenly said: 'Miss, remember not to wear a sachet. That cat is very favored by the Empress Dowager and dislikes strong-smelling incense. It's said that once, a palace maid in the Empress Dowager's bedroom wore a new perfume pouch, and the cat pounced on her, scratching her face and ruining her looks. She was also punished by the Empress Dowager for disturbing her beloved pet and was sent to do hard labor in the granary.'"

  Lin Ruoyan's eyes widened in surprise, "It's just a cat, is it that precious?"

  Lin Zhaoyan furrowed her brow, "How did you know?"

  The pomegranate was calm and unhurried, "I've been sold and resold since I was a child, the places I've been to, the people I've met, and the things I've heard are far more than you two young ladies."

  Lin Ruoyan smiled triumphantly at Liu, who was equally surprised, and said: "I told you that as long as the pomegranate follows me, I won't have to worry about entering the palace. She said she met a lady from the palace when she was in Jiangning Weaving Bureau before."

  Lin Zhaoyan couldn't believe it intuitively, but if not for this reason, what other reason could there be? It's not like they would say that Shi Liu was a palace maid who sneaked out of the palace and now regrets it, so she wants to use Lin Ruoyan to enter the palace again.

  "Who?!" Amidst her confusion, a sudden angry shout came from outside, interrupting her thoughts.

  Liu furrowed her brow and hastily stopped speaking, gesturing for Lin's mother to go out and take a look.

  Before long, Lin's mother returned, followed by Bai Ju, the third-class maid of Lian Yu Tang.

  Rong's mother took a step forward and worriedly said: "It seems like someone was eavesdropping from behind the wall, but they were discovered by Bai Ju after stepping on a tree branch."

  "How dare you! You actually sneaked in here to eavesdrop on me!" Liu was instantly furious, thinking that she had only managed to get close to Old Lady Lin with great difficulty and obtain the information, how could she let someone easily overhear it?!

  Bai Zhi hastily stepped forward and said, "Milady, please calm down. Although I didn't catch the person on the spot, she dropped a purse from her body when she fled in a hurry, it's this one."

  After finishing speaking, she handed over a crimson silk pouch embroidered with plum blossoms.

  Ziying took the pouch and examined it from both sides, then concluded, "The material is cloud brocade, and the pattern on top is embroidered with superior silk thread from Pincai Pavilion. It's a rare Shu embroidery technique in Shengjing."

  Rong's mother pondered: "There aren't many people in our household who know how to do Shu embroidery, and judging from the material of this pouch, it's probably not made by an ordinary maid."

  Liu sneered, "Mother Rong, go and investigate immediately. We must find out who is responsible! Such thievery will not be tolerated in the Hou Manor!"

  Rong's mother responded.

  Because of this sudden turn of events, Liu's mood suddenly turned sour and she didn't feel like staying to accompany Lin Ruoyan, so she left first.

  Liu left, Lin Ruoyan turned to Lin Zhao Yan coldly and said: "I know what you're here for, you don't need to say anything else, my mind is made up. You broke your promise to Wen Xuan's brother, I also don't need to keep my promise to you."

  Lin Zhaoyan was speechless in response.

  Who would have thought that all the efforts I made to persuade and advise were still no match for fate's arrangement.

  She had a strong premonition in her heart that as long as Lin Ruoyan entered the palace, the dream of being buried in a sea of flames that night would become a reality.

  The palace is like a raging fire.

  It seems that Lin Ruoyan's subjective consciousness is impossible to break through again, and we must take action from an objective perspective.