Chapter Sixty: Reunion (Four)

  Xiao Chengxian took a glance, and her heart couldn't help but feel secretly surprised. She then recalled the time when she was in the western wing with Yuandai, discussing the matter of Baili Yi, when Du Ruo had come over to serve tea and accidentally dropped the teacup for some unknown reason. Now that she thought about it, there must have been more to it than met the eye. She silently pondered this, and the more she thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. Secretly, she made up her mind to find an opportunity to ask Yuandai about the circumstances surrounding this matter.

  She thought for a moment, then Ling Yuancheng had already spoken up and asked the two sisters: "Today's weather isn't very good, I'm afraid it won't be long before rain or snow falls. It would be best if we just took a short walk nearby. What do you two sisters think?"

  Yan Dai smiled, but didn't respond, only glancing at Ling Yu Xuan. Ling Yu Xuan then smiled and said, "Let Sixth Brother know that yesterday we heard Sister Xiao say that behind this courtyard there is a plum blossom that has bloomed, and now it's in full bloom. This time we're going to go admire the plum blossoms."

  Ling Yuancheng was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said: "Zhao Shuimei? This name sounds good. Come to think of it, I've been watching plum blossoms every winter, but I've never thought about the names of these plum blossoms!" As he spoke, he turned his head to glance at Xiao Chengye.

  Xiao Chengye smiled and said, "It's not just you, I'm also like that. However, you don't know that the plum tree in my backyard is called 'Zhaoshui' because there is a lake in the plum forest, and on the lakeside, there is a large stone with the words 'Zhaoshui' carved on it." He said this while making a gesture for everyone to follow him.

  Everyone was walking and talking. Xiao Chengyan smiled and said, "I think others may not know the origin of this plum blossom's name, but Ninth Sister must know! This journey is quite dull, why don't you tell us about it?"

  Actually, the origin of this plum blossom's name is quite simple. In a moment, when we arrive, I'll point it out to you and you'll naturally understand why it's called 'Shuixiu' (Water-reflecting).

  Everyone heard this and couldn't help but smile, so they temporarily put it aside and didn't pursue further questioning.

  Xiao Chengxian suddenly remembered that Madam Du was about to return to the capital. She asked Xiao Chengyan if he had known about it. Xiao Chengyan was very close to his sister and knew her thoughts a little, so when he heard this, he couldn't help but stare at her for a moment before finally nodding.

  Xiao Chengyan smiled and changed the subject, not wanting to bring up the matter in front of Ling Yuqing who was standing beside her. She only chatted with Yuan Dai's sisters about the scenery of Lüying Ridge. As they laughed and talked, the three of them had already left Xiao's family villa.

  Although he had already prepared himself in his heart, when Yuandai raised her eyes to look at him, she still involuntarily took a cold breath. Behind the big courtyard of the Xiao family was a large area of plum blossom forest, with thousands of trees as far as the eye could see. The plum blossoms were planted in an orderly manner, with high and low levels, distinct layers, and pink and white flowers intertwined among them. At first glance, it was even more shocking than the wax plum sea on Guanyin Mountain.

  Yan Dai hadn't even had time to express her admiration when Ling Yu Xuan on the side suddenly exclaimed: "Earlier, I saw that patch of winter plum blossoms on Guanyin Mountain and thought it was already breathtaking. Now that I'm here again, for a moment I couldn't find the words to describe it!"

  Yuan Dai smiled slightly and echoed: "My heart is also sorrowful!"

  The plum blossom forest that appeared before everyone's eyes had tall tree trunks, wide flower crowns, and a slightly umbrella-shaped appearance. The branches were adorned with blooming plum blossoms in various colors such as pale white, delicate red, and deep purple. Before one even approached, the fragrance wafted up to their nostrils, truly like jade piling up fragrance, an absolute beauty that captivated the city. What was most astonishing, however, was that within this forest, there seemed to be a faint misty atmosphere, so that when the flowers were hidden among the trees, they inadvertently gave people a sense of viewing flowers in the fog, adding a few points to their ethereal and otherworldly beauty.

  Everyone stepped into the forest, and suddenly a faint scent wafted up, wrinkling their noses. They looked at each other in surprise and asked, "Is there really a hot spring in this forest?"

  As soon as this was said, Ling Yuancheng and Ling Yuanxuan both had a bewildered expression, clearly having no knowledge of it. On the other side, the Xiao siblings were both shocked, with Xiao Chengyan even more astonished, saying: "How did Ninth Sister know that there's a hot spring here?"

  Yan Dai pursed her lips and smiled, then pointed to her own nose with a finger, saying: "My nose has been more sensitive than ordinary people since childhood. Although the plum blossoms here are fragrant, I always feel that there is something unusual about the smell. Thinking again, my sister once said that there was a hot spring in Lü Yu Ling, and there was mist rising around the plum forest, so I thought of the smell of sulfur."

  All hot springs are caused by geothermal heat, so they are either thick or thin, and generally have some sulfur smell.

  Xiao Chengxian smiled after hearing, and said: "Ninth sister indeed has a good nose!" As she spoke, she led the crowd to walk forward, about thirty steps away, in front of them appeared a small lake with an area of about half a mu. Zhan Yan's eyes were sharp, and at a glance, he saw that on the edge of the lake there was a large stone, on which two powerful and vigorous big characters were carved: "Zhao Shui".

  As soon as she saw the big stone, Yuandai couldn't help but glance at Du Ruo quickly. Du Ruo was also staring at the big stone at this moment, his eyes were straight and his face was slightly pale, and he didn't know what he was thinking in his heart either.

  Xiao Chengyan pointed at the two characters on the stone and smiled, "It's said that these characters were written by Emperor Ai of the previous dynasty himself. Let's take a look!"

  As they walked to the lakeside stone bank, they felt a slight warmth on their bodies.

  Ling Yuexuan curiously bent down to stir the lake water, but felt that the water was slightly warm to the touch. Although it wasn't icy cold, it couldn't be called a hot spring either. She turned her head to look at Xiao Chengyan and asked, "Is this the hot spring you were talking about?"

  Seeing her strange expression, Xiao Cheng also smiled and said: "What I told you that day was that although the Green Lotus Ridge has hot springs, they were only discovered a few years ago. Do you still remember, tenth sister?"

  Ling Yuexuan nodded and said: "Sister indeed said those words!"

  "That's it! There is indeed a hot spring on Lü Yu Ridge, but the water temperature is too low and not suitable for bathing. So, for many years, it has been unknown to people. Until a few years ago, the emperor granted Rui Qīn Wáng a palace on Lü Yu Ridge, and soon after moving in, he unexpectedly discovered a hot spring with just the right temperature for bathing on the west side of the palace. Only then did the various families on the ridge realize that there was indeed a hot spring on Lü Yu Ridge. So, each family invited experts to drill for hot springs everywhere, but so far, no second spring suitable for bathing has been found!"

  Ling Yuexuan suddenly realized and smiled: "Is it the same in your sister's family?"

  Xiao Cheng smiled but didn't answer, yet her expression clearly acknowledged it.

  Yuandai stood by and listened, without noticing a loss of smile, then stepped forward, imitating Ling Yuanshen's manner, stretching out her hand to lightly touch the Shuiyue Lake.

  The lake's water is clear and warm to the touch, quite pleasant. This lake appears to be man-made, but unlike most artificial lakes that are dug into a circular shape, it was dug into a crescent moon shape, looking slender and delicate, very exquisite. The side of the lake is planted with plum blossoms that reflect on the water's surface, adding many elegant charms. With a slight smile, Yuande said: "Now is daytime, and today's weather isn't good either, so it's just okay to look at it now. If we were to appreciate the plum blossoms under the moonlight, with snow, I think we could fully experience the beauty of their subtle fragrance and delicate shadows!"

  She didn't say anything, but as soon as she said this, Xiao Chengyan immediately remembered and smiled: "Yes, just now when I went out the door, I asked you about the origin of 'Zhao Shui', but you were evasive and didn't want to say it. Now you should say it!"

  Yan Dai smiled and straightened up, pointing to the plum blossom beside her: "Sister, take a look at this plum blossom. Do you think there's anything special about it?" Xiao Chengyan was taken aback, then looked up with everyone else to gaze at the flower.

  But then they saw the water-reflecting plum blossom that Yuandai had pointed out, with its single petal of light pink. Most of the flowers on the tree were half-opened and slightly exposed, giving off a fragrance that assailed people's senses. However, if one wanted to say what was special about it, everyone found themselves unable to do so. Yuandai stood beside them, seeing the bewildered expressions on their faces, but couldn't help smiling. After all, she explained: "This plum blossom blooms with its face downwards, just like a beautiful woman admiring her reflection in the water as she puts on her makeup, hence it's called the water-reflecting plum."

  Everyone heard this sentence and hurriedly raised their heads to look, seeing that the plum blossoms by the water were indeed as Yuandelai had said, with most of them facing downwards. Moreover, the shape of the plum blossoms was elegant and refined, and the color was light and delicate, truly having the charm of a beautiful woman. Yuandelai smiled and added from the side: "This is what they mean by 'The reflection of the shadow in the cold creek water, the water in the creek is also fragrant. A beauty stands before a precious mirror, naturally making up with Shouyang powder.'"

  Everyone saw the flower first, then heard this poem, and couldn't help but be intoxicated in their hearts, all silent for a long time. It wasn't until after a while that Xiao Chengyan let out a soft sigh, just as she was about to speak, when suddenly a round of applause came from not far away. Along with the applause came a low, calm yet powerful voice: "What a beautiful woman in front of the precious mirror, doing her own makeup!"

  Everyone was shocked and quickly turned their heads to look. From behind a plum blossom tree that was blooming exceptionally luxuriantly in the southwest, two people appeared at this moment. The two were standing and sitting, with the standing person having a delicate appearance with a hint of childishness, looking into the distance with a gaze that revealed a hint of surprise, yet standing quietly without speaking. The seated person sat on a very lightweight wheelchair, made entirely of high-quality steel and fine nanmu wood, and due to it being winter, a black bear skin with shiny fur was spread over the chair.

  The man who applauded was the one sitting in a wheelchair. The man looked extremely tired, with dark eyes and a weary expression, his face pale to an unnatural degree. However, all of this could not weaken his presence in the slightest. In fact, when he appeared before everyone's eyes, even the Water Lily Pavilion seemed to lose all its color in an instant, everything around him fading into nothingness, as if everyone's eyes only had room for him - a pale and weary-looking man.

  No need for any extra words, at this moment, everyone who has seen him or not has a name in their heart - Rui Qin Wang.

  Ruiqin Wang - Baili Zhao!

  After a moment of stunned silence, Xiang Chengye was the first to regain his composure. He smoothed out his clothes and stepped forward with a serious expression, bowing deeply to Baili Zhao. In a deep voice, he said: "Xiao Chengye, the eldest son of Duke Duan, pays his respects to Your Highness, King Rui!"

  After this ceremony, everyone came back to their senses and hurriedly stepped forward to pay their respects. Bai Li Zhao saw the situation and slightly waved his hand, calmly saying: "This is not a court, I am just an idle prince, so let's dispense with these formalities for now!"