Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 213 Why should the jade flute lament the jade pendant, for the acacia tree does not enter the homes of kings and nobles?

Having sorted everything out in her mind, Lin Zhiqing calmed down.

Aunt Mu felt uneasy: "Miss, is nothing serious really wrong?"

Lin Zhiqing smiled slightly, then shook his head: "Now that Fourth Uncle has been exonerated and the Lin family is safe, what major incident could there be?"

Aunt Mu was relieved to hear Lin Zhiqing's approval: "That's good, Miss. You've worked so hard. Let me help you get some rest."

The lights in Shuqing Pavilion went out quickly.

The Lin family disappeared back into the night, and all was quiet.

The next day, as soon as Lin Zhiqing opened his eyes and washed up, he wanted to go and take a look at Lin Shi'an's courtyard.

But as soon as she stepped out of the courtyard, she encountered Lu Huai and Lu Nanyue, who had come to say goodbye, along with Lin Shi'an who had accompanied them.

"Xiao Qing'er, this matter is settled, Xiao Huai and I will not bother you any longer." Lu Nanyue patted Lin Zhiqing's hand.

“My father will be back soon. He kept talking about you before he went to Songhe Academy. If you have some free time, you should go and see him.”

"Okay, I will definitely pay a visit another day." Lin Zhiqing agreed. Uncle Lu had done a lot for the Lin family, and he should go and thank him in person.

After she finished speaking, she looked at Lu Huai, only to catch his gaze fixed on her.

Lu Huai nodded first, without saying a word.

Lin Zhiqing took out the small jade flute she had received earlier, which Lu Huai had given her:

"Lu Huai, this flute..."

"Oh, just accept it since he gave it to you. It's yours now." Before Lin Zhiqing could finish speaking, Lu Nanyue pushed the jade flute back.

Lin Zhiqing was taken aback and subconsciously looked at Lu Huai.

Lu Huai smiled and nodded, indicating that Lin Zhiqing should accept it.

Lin Zhiqing stopped refusing. He really liked the flute and thought it might be very useful in the future.

After Lu Huai and Lu Nanyue left, Lin Shi'an returned to Shuqing Pavilion with Lin Zhiqing.

Lin Zhiqing inquired about the whereabouts of the others, and Lin Shi'an recounted their reports one by one, as if giving a report:

"My sister drank too much yesterday and is still asleep."

"My eldest uncle went to the ancestral hall early in the morning, and my fourth uncle must have been tired these days, so he stayed at my fourth aunt's place."

"Lin Jiusi went to the warehouse, and I had someone follow him."

Lin Zhiqing didn't hear the name she wanted to hear. Just as she was about to ask, Lin Shi'an took out a letter:

"When I went to check this morning, Prince Jiang had already left."

"He left a letter saying that there were some problems with the Marquis of Zhenyuan and he had to rush over to deal with them."

"Gone?" Upon hearing this news, Lin Zhiqing paused for a moment, a multitude of thoughts rushing through her mind.

Could it be that he noticed his own changes last night, guessed that Lin Zhiqing might have become suspicious of him, and that's why he ran away?
Before Lin Zhiqing could figure this out, Lin Shi'an handed her a letter: "Although he left in a hurry, he was quite sensible. He even left you a letter."

Lin Zhiqing frowned slightly, temporarily suppressing her doubts. She took the letter and saw the words "To Qing'er" written on it.

She opened the envelope without hesitation, and what greeted her eyes was strong, vigorous handwriting:

Why should the jade flute lament the jade pendant? The acacia tree does not enter the homes of kings and nobles.

Lin Shi'an glanced at it, and a smile immediately appeared on his face: "Zhiqing, Young Master Jiang is very thoughtful."

“He comes from a royal family. Whether you marry into the Jiang family now or in the future, in his eyes, personal feelings must take a step back from the greater good of the country.”

"He wants you not to resent him for leaving without saying goodbye; he still values ​​you quite a bit."

"Is that so..." Lin Zhiqing narrowed his eyes, quickly put the letter away after reading it, lowered his head and smiled, looking very shy: "Cousin, I understand."

Seeing Lin Zhiqing's appearance, Lin Shi'an couldn't help but add another compliment:
"I've usually only heard that Young Master Jiang is devoted to martial arts, but now I see that he is also quite accomplished in literature." "You should keep this letter safe. If your uncle finds it, he will surely think that you two are exchanging letters in secret. Young Master Jiang is indeed a rare and excellent young man, so you should pay more attention to him."

“Indeed, he is a fine man.” Lin Zhiqing smiled.

Lin Shi'an was preoccupied with something else and didn't notice the sarcasm in Lin Zhiqing's smile.

It deserves to be ironic.

Lin Zhiqing ran her fingers over the letter, reviewing the poem in her mind once more.

The moment she saw the poem, she knew in her heart that Jiang Liuyun had indeed discovered something amiss.

If it weren't for what happened last night, Lin Zhiqing might have just taken this poem as a confession of love.

But after last night, the nature of this poem changed.

Different perspectives can reveal different meanings.

Every line of this poem carries two layers of meaning.

The jade flute belonged to Lin Zhiqing, because she had previously demonstrated her skill in playing the jade flute when dealing with Liu Mang.

The jade pendant represents Jiang Liuyun. In Dasheng, marquises all hold a jade seal that represents their status, while the heir of a marquis has a jade pendant made from the same piece of jade as the seal.

Lin Shi'an's interpretation of the previous sentence was correct. Jiang Liuyun did indeed mean that Lin Zhiqing should not resent him, but Lin Shi'an's understanding of the target of the resentment was too superficial.

On the surface, the mimosa flower does indeed represent love.

On the other hand, in the eyes of some aristocratic families, because the color of the mimosa flower changes under different lighting, it often represents a courtesan who is fickle and fickle in her affections.

Because the most taboo thing for aristocratic families is their reputation, the mimosa flower in Dasheng also carries the meaning of impossible love.

The mimosa tree does not enter the homes of kings and nobles.

This "royal family" must refer to the Zhenyuan Marquis's residence.

What Jiang Liuyun really wanted to say was that Lin Zhiqing shouldn't resent him because of what happened last night, because there is no true affection among noble families.

There are no feelings involved, only interests.

Jiang Liuyun… Lin Zhiqing smiled, her face showing no other expression.

She couldn't reveal anything.

Jiang Liuyun left this poem most likely as a test.

He wasn't sure what Lin Zhiqing's reaction was all about last night, so he wrote a poem full of profound meaning, wanting to see Lin Zhiqing's actions and reactions.

The more this is the case, the less Lin Zhiqing can afford to give herself away.

Jiang Liuyun's probing suggests that he is not yet certain whether Lin Zhiqing has noticed anything, and therefore he will not break ties with the Lin family for the time being.

This poem came at just the right time; it reaffirmed Lin Zhiqing's suspicions about Jiang Liuyun.
Otherwise, Jiang Liuyun wouldn't have gone to such lengths to test him.

However, Jiang Liuyun could not determine Lin Zhiqing's intentions from this poem, because she would not make any move to alert the enemy.

Lin Zhiqing pretended not to know anything, which at least allowed the Lin family to recuperate for a while and gave herself time to prepare.

If she were to directly break ties with Jiang Liuyun, the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion might inflict unimaginable damage on the Lin family.

What Lin Zhiqing needs to do now is to take advantage of this peaceful time to collect evidence of what Jiang Liuyun did in the past.

This way, she can maintain control and avoid being manipulated in the future, preventing Jiang Liuyun from targeting the Lin family again for personal gain.

Moreover, with evidence, she might be able to eliminate Jiang Liuyun, this powerful opponent lurking in the shadows.

Otherwise, there would definitely be a second or third Liu Mang.

At that time, the Lin family was still not safe.