The guard stepped forward to grab the vagrant’s collar, but Wei Linxia quickly stopped him: “Let’s go around.”
The guards protected them as they passed, and they heard a man muttering, “Geese fly north in autumn, returning in three springs. Ice melts in spring, geese transform into phoenixes.”
Li Weiheng commented that the man was nonsensical, as geese fly south in autumn. Wei Linxia found him strange but dismissed it; odd characters were not uncommon in the vast world.
Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, Xi Linxuan unexpectedly appeared in the inner palace, holding two pure white jade bells.
“Went to burn incense? What did you pray for?” Xi Linxuan asked, presenting the bells. “The jade craftsman took two months to make them. Take them.”
Wei Linxia hesitated, suspicious of his intentions. Xi Linxuan continued, “When the Emperor celebrated his birthday, I received a piece of jade from the longevity elder. These two pieces were left over, so I had the craftsman make them into bells.”
The white jade felt warm in her hand, and Wei Linxia examined them, noting their exquisite craftsmanship.
“This concubine thanks the Prince. It’s rare that amid your busy days, you still remember to cheer me up,” Wei Linxia said with a smile.
“I originally planned to put them on those two black cats outside, but afraid someone might catch them for their value, I thought it better to give them to you,” Xi Linxuan shook the bells. “Go make the bed, I’m tired.”
Wei Linxia prepared the bed and helped him sit down, looking at his leg with confusion: “Have you been lazy and not treating it?”
Xi Linxuan wrapped his arm around her shoulder and lay down, pulling the blanket over them: “Sleep.” He didn’t answer her question.
He seemed to be asleep, but Wei Linxia couldn’t sleep. She gently nudged him, and seeing no response, carefully got up to search for needles in the chest. The maids from the Wei household and palace women had left her things in disarray, making her search difficult.
While rummaging, she spotted a familiar red wooden box – the one Xu Zhen had given her that Xi Linxuan had mysteriously prevented her from opening. She took it out and carefully opened it, her heart racing, wondering what secret it contained.
