Princess and the General

Madam Yin’s Grave (Part Four)

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The main street had people coming and going.
Arriving in an area that was bustling with people, Gu JiuGe’s horse could not move.

He had initially returned from a social engagement to ask Yu Fu if she wanted to go out and see the lanterns, but when he entered the manor, he heard the gatekeeper say that Yu Fu’s group had already gone out.

He immediately ordered a horse to set out from the manor, but when he reached the main street, he could not find Yu Fu’s group.

“Weird, the servants clearly said that they were on this street.
Why are they not here?”

Gu JiuGe lifted his head to look at the restaurants and tea houses to the side.
He had wanted to take a look but decided to give up on that idea.

Every year during the Lantern Festival, those restaurants and tea houses would be reserved in advance by wealthy and noble families, and Marquis Gu’s Manor never bothered spending that money.
Yu Fu’s group should not be in such a place.

In the end, he decided to continue looking along the street.

Arriving at the bridge, he suddenly noticed that there were quite a few lanterns drifting along on the river below.
They had been released by the citizens to pray for good fortune.

The area around the river was dark.
Though the lights from the lanterns illuminated everyone’s faces, their features could not be seen clearly.

Gu JiuGe thought quickly and walked down from the bridge.

Yu Fu might like these lanterns and walked down from the bridge.
He would go down next to the river to look around.
He might even be able to find them down there.

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The path near the river was not long.
As he searched from the bottom of the path to the top, the number of lanterns in the river gradually decreased.

The number of people next to the river also decreased.

Gu JiuGe let out a sigh.
Knowing that Yu Fu’s group was not here, he prepared to leave.

He suddenly heard a sob come from beneath a willow.
In this quiet environment, it really stood out.
He instantly reached for the sword at his hip.

“Who’s there?”

The person sobbing beneath the willow heard a familiar voice and wiped away their tears with a handkerchief before slowly walking out.

In the shadows, he could only see a girl’s slender figure.
Her figure when walking resembled a thin willow bending in the wind, and it looked like a willow tree had become a spirit.

“Is that second young sir Gu?”

This voice sounded familiar.

Gu JiuGe put his sword away, “Is that young miss Yin?”

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He had seen many girls but remembered very few.
Yin JiYao could be considered one of them.

The girl walked out from the shadow of the willow.
Sure enough, it was Yin JiYao, but the tears on her face had not yet dried, and she looked very heartbroken.

“What happened? Why are you here alone?”

Yin JiYao wiped away some tears, “I came out to look at the lanterns and had maidservants and guards with me.
But after hearing the news that came from the manor, I was feeling miserable and sent them away.”

Gu JiuGe paused, “Since it’s a familial matter for the prime minister’s manor, I won’t ask about it.
But young miss Yin, it’s not safe to be here on your own.
I will escort you back to your manor.”

Yin JiYao desperately shook her head and bit down hard on her lips.

“I don’t want to go back to the manor.
At the very least, I don’t want to go back right now.”

Gu JiuGe was anxious to go and look for Yu Fu’s group, but he also could not do something as ungraceful as abandoning a girl like Yin JiYao here on her own.

He hesitated for a moment then said: “It’s cold near the river.
If young miss Yin does not wish to return to the manor right now, how about I take you to a restaurant to sit for a bit.”

Yin JiYao was naturally slender and disliked wearing thick clothes, finding that they did not give her a beautiful figure.

Earlier, she had been too distraught to notice the cold, but now that Gu JiuGe had mentioned it, she found that her hands and feet were cold.
Hastily pulling her cloak tight to cover her neck, she followed Gu JiuGe away from the riverside.

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The two randomly chose a restaurant along the main street.
After drinking a cup of hot tea, Yin JiYao’s complexion improved a great deal.

Gu JiuGe said: “This place is warm, but it’s a pity that we won’t be able to see the lanterns on the street.
The spots that can see them were reserved tens of days in advance.”

His tone was always gentle, and Yin JiYao’s face turned a little red.

She was very rarely treated so kindly by others.
From the first time she met Gu JiuGe, there had been a strange feeling inside her chest.

This time, they had a chance meeting when she was at her lowest point, and she had received his care and concern once more.
This made that strange feeling in her chest grow even more.

“Having somewhere to hide from the wind is already great.
Many thanks, second young sir.”

Gu JiuGe only smiled.
Picking up a kettle of wine, he drank on his own and did not say anything else.

He did not ask, but Yin JiYao wanted to speak.

“In truth, today is the day of my mother’s death.
Every year at this time, I would go and pay my respects.
But this year, father did not let me leave the city and told me to just stay in the manor.
Even coming out to look at the lanterns tonight, I had to wait until he wasn’t paying attention to sneak out.”

Gu JiuGe’s hand froze.
He suddenly remembered that the madam of the prime minister’s manor also passed away early.
He and Yin JiYao were the same.
Both were people who had no mother.

She had said that the prime minister’s manor very rarely allowed her to go out.
Was that the reason that she was not permitted to go and pay her respects?

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Gu JiuGe said: “Did you decide to go and cry under the tree from the heartbreak of suddenly remembering your mother?”

Yin JiYao said: “It’s not like that.
It has been many years since mother has passed away, and that no longer causes me any sadness.
Since father did not allow me to personally pay my respects, I had a servant go on my behalf.
Who knew that the servant would come back and tell me that this year’s heavy snow covered my mother’s grave, and he could not find it.”

As she spoke, tears started to well up in her eyes.

Gu JiuGe could not stop himself from laughing, “What is there to cry about with this? The snow not melting in places that are cold and dark outside the city is quite normal.
It will melt away in a few days.
Won’t you be able to find it when you go then? The grave will be there and can’t run off.”

What he said was true.

Yin JiYao’s tears turned to laughter, “I was a little too anxious, not even understanding something so simple.
Please don’t laugh at me.”

The two exchanged a look then laughed.
Gu JiuGe had already drank some wine today, and now he had downed another two cups on his own, thus the wine was taking even more of an effect.

He suddenly remembered something.
How could Prime Minister Yin’s wife have a grave that could be completely covered by the snow?

Only graves out in the wilderness that were not overseen by anyone and unmarked graves would be covered up by the snow.

Yin JiYao looked out then stood up and bowed, “Second young sir, my maidservant has come looking for me.
I will be leaving first.”

Saying this, she began to walk out before turning around and smiling to him, “Thank you!”