Chapter 5: The Sister from Home PART 1
Sunlight quietly fell on the walls, filtering through the flower windows and casting circles of shadows on the ground.
Peonies, crabapples, ice patterns, and diamond patterns – the shadows cast by the various shapes of flower windows were quite different. Looking around, it created a different scene.
“Aunt is right; Imperial Brother is so busy every day, he should have a considerate person to take care of him. Cousin is kind, gentle and generous; she’s the perfect choice.”
“Consort He is right. The palace will be lively in the future, and the princess won’t worry about having no one to play with.”
“Oh, let’s not talk about this. Aunt’s waiting for me to have some tea. I should have taken a sedan chair out…”
The voices from outside the wall grew fainter and fainter, mixed with chuckles, and then were no longer audible.
No one present dared to speak. Even Zhao Duanduan, who was usually doted on by Zhao Yiyi, was stiff, obliquely observing Zhao Yiyi’s expression, not daring to breathe heavily.
After a long time, she finally felt worried and softly called out, “Sister…”
Zhao Yiyi closed her eyes, trying her best to suppress the bitterness, forcing herself not to think about those cousins, but lightly patted her hand, “Let’s go. Didn’t you say you wanted to see the weeping willows? The sun will be strong later, and you’ll say you can’t stand it.”
Her face was calm and composed; Zhao Duanduan couldn’t act as if nothing had happened. While admiring the willows, she was absent-minded; even when Zhao Yiyi spoke to her, she didn’t hear seven or eight out of ten sentences.
After days of continuous rain, today was a rare sunny day.
The morning sun shone on the pond, stirring up ripples of light. The branches of the weeping willows gently brushed against the water, occasionally leaving slight ripples.
Zhao Yiyi felt a little relieved and tugged on Zhao Duanduan’s ear, “I’m talking to you, are you deaf?”
Zhao Duanduan winced, turned her head sharply, and acted coquettishly, “Sister, I’m listening.” Then she asked nervously, “I didn’t hear clearly, Sister, can you say it again?”
Her face was full of a fawning smile. Even if Zhao Yiyi was very angry, seeing this smile eased her anger somewhat. She just glared at her and said angrily, “I asked if you’ve measured the size for your wedding dress and started making it yet. You’re not concerned; who else can be concerned?”
Zhao Duanduan had been engaged to Cui Siyuan, the son of the Marquis of Hejian, last year.
The two had grown up together as childhood sweethearts and had a very good relationship. Zhao Yiyi was naturally pleased with this marriage. If all went well, the wedding would be held in the second half of the year.
It was just the right time to start making the wedding gown.
However, Zhao Duanduan always took it lightly. She wasn’t concerned herself, which angered Zhao Yiyi greatly. But she had completely lost control over her, only glaring angrily, with no words of reprimand coming out.
Zhao Duanduan knew she wouldn’t be too harsh, so she dared to act recklessly in front of her.
Walking along Hai Pond for a while, Zhao Yiyi, who hadn’t been out for a long time, felt her legs ache after walking for a while, so she returned to Jiao Fang Palace before the sun got too strong.
The two sisters entered the inner hall one after the other, but another girl who had been following behind was stopped outside.
Mangcao stretched out her arm to stop her, smiled, “Your Majesty hasn’t seen the second miss for a long time and has some private matters to discuss. Miss Zuo, please sit in the front hall for a while. I’ll have someone bring some tea.”
Speaking of court ladies in Jiao Fang Palace, Yunzhu wouldn’t dare to stop someone. Mangcao, however, was still a little childish; she did it confidently, and deliberately acted like a court lady.
Stopped outside the partition, Zuo Lianzhi didn’t seem angry but instead nodded with a smile, “Then I’ll trouble Miss Mangcao.”
Mangcao nodded and went to prepare tea, thinking that she had actually learned to pretend.
As soon as she entered the inner hall and sat down on an armchair, Zhao Yiyi asked, “Why did you suddenly send a message to the palace?”
“I missed my sister,” Zhao Duanduan thought of her father’s instructions and suddenly felt guilty.
When she was younger, she didn’t understand anything. She thought that her sister, after becoming the crown princess and then the empress, lived a life of luxury. Only after hearing such unpleasant words today did she realize her sister’s underlying difficulties.
Her sister’s position had many people eyeing it covetously, not allowing even the slightest mistake. Trying hard to open her mouth, she couldn’t utter a single word of what her father had told her to say.
Zhao Duanduan thought sadly that her sister was already having a hard time, so why add to her troubles.
So, she nodded firmly, then took the initiative, “Sister, don’t you miss me?”
Zhao Yiyi raised her eyebrows, “Did anyone bully you at home?”
Initially, she loved Zhao Duanduan because of her grandparents. Later, after spending time together, Zhao Duanduan became dependent on her, so she gradually treated Zhao Duanduan as her own younger sister.
Zhao Yiyi cared more about her younger sister than anyone else.
“No one bullied me,” Zhao Duanduan shook her head and looked at her with her mouth half-open.
Zhao Yiyi frowned displeasedly and pointed outside the hall, “Then why did she follow?”
Her slender fingers were like jade tubes, with a touch of pink at the tips. Zhao Duanduan followed her fingers, looking outside through the screen and the door, and knew that she was referring to Zuo Lianzhi, who was waiting outside. She pouted, “Father insisted that she come with me. He said we’re all sisters; what could I do?”
Zhao Yiyi rubbed her temples, feeling a headache. She was used to her father, Zhao Weimin, being so muddle-headed.
Zuo Lianzhi was the biological daughter of her stepmother, Xu Shi, from her previous marriage.
If it were just this simple relationship, Zhao Yiyi wouldn’t have disliked her or given her a cold shoulder. It was just that her stepmother and father’s past was not very glorious.
Zuo Lianzhi’s biological father and Zhao Weimin had been good friends. After Zuo Lianzhi’s father died, Zhao Weimin vowed to take care of his wife and daughter. Zhao Yiyi’s mother also knew about this. Not only did she not object, but she was also moved by her husband’s loyalty and often helped take care of them, treating Xu Shi like a sister.
Even Zhao Yiyi’s grandparents praised their son for growing up and being responsible.
Zhao Yiyi had been told when she was young, “You are the eldest sister. Lianzhi has lost her father; you must let her be and don’t let anyone bully her.”
No one expected Zhao Weimin, while taking care of his friend’s wife and daughter, to take care of them to the point of sleeping with her.
Zhao Yiyi was still young at that time. After hearing her mother’s words, she obediently took care of her sister who had lost her father and didn’t allow the other children to bully Zuo Lianzhi. But she didn’t expect that the girl, who didn’t have a father, would end up taking her father away.
After her mother died, Zhao Weimin took the initiative to marry Xu Shi. It wasn’t until they brought back their illegitimate child raised outside, seeing their so-called “younger brother,” that Zhao Yiyi realized that they had been together for many years.
The harmonious family she thought she knew was merely an illusion. Overnight, her father’s tall image in her heart collapsed completely.
“When she goes back later, she will definitely go to Father to complain that I deliberately ignored her. A few days ago, she liked my hairpin, and although I didn’t give it to her, Father bought her a better one,” Zhao Duanduan pulled Zhao Yiyi, acting coquettishly with displeasure, “Sister, she’s so annoying.”
“What does it have to do with you? I ignored her. She dares to complain about me?” Zhao Yiyi snorted softly, then frowned, “What hairpin?”
Zhao Duanduan sat there picking at her fingers, then leaned against Zhao Yiyi’s shoulder, pouting, “It’s just an ordinary hairpin. She deliberately said she liked it in front of Father. Isn’t she trying to… Sister, you know, she likes to take other people’s things, just like her…”
She wanted to say she’s just like her mother, but her words were cut short by Zhao Yiyi’s gaze.
She almost forgot that her sister didn’t allow her to say such rude words.
Zhao Yiyi sighed softly, stroking her hair, and said warmly, “Alright, let’s not talk about them. Tell your sister something else, okay?”