The four princes entered the Xia residence, and everyone in the household was busy entertaining them. Even her father was occupied.
Leng Ruo Li wandered alone in the Xia residence's garden.
It was said that the Xia residence was bestowed upon Grand Tutor Xia by the current Emperor. The mansion was spacious and the environment beautiful. The garden here was even more exquisitely designed than that of General Leng's mansion, featuring a phoenix-tailed bamboo grove, a plum blossom garden, a hundred-flower garden, an artificial lake, and several pavilions… The environment was truly delightful!
Leng Ruo Li walked alone on a bridge, admiring the schools of fish swimming in the lake. Occasionally, two or three guests would walk past her in pairs, but they didn't greet her. Suddenly, she was called from behind.
"Leng Ruo Li, is that you?"
A sweet and melodious female voice came from behind Leng Ruo Li.
Leng Ruo Li quickly turned around and saw a girl in a light yellow, wide-sleeved, traditional wide-lapel dress, walking towards her with a smile.
"Are you Leng Ruo Li?"
The young girl, seeing that she remained silent, asked her again.
"Yes, and you are?"
Leng Ruo Li nodded and slowly replied.
"My name is Bai Yu Xuan. I am the Qing Ling County Princess of the Marquis of Jing Yuan. I've just turned 14. It's a pleasure to meet you."
As Bai Yu Xuan introduced herself, her eyes curved, and on her round little face were two charming dimples. Her teeth were also very white, giving Leng Ruo Li the first impression that this young girl was simple-minded and adorable.
"Marquis of Jing Yuan's residence," Leng Ruo Li had heard of it. He was the maternal family of the current Empress Dowager. However, the people of the Marquis of Jing Yuan's residence were usually very low-key, with very few scandals in the capital. Unlike the Duke Lin's mansion, who, relying on their royal kinship, acted wickedly everywhere and oppressed the common people.
"I am also very happy to meet you."
Leng Ruo Li's lips curved upwards, revealing a smile as she spoke to her.
"Aren't you bored playing here alone?" Bai Yu Xuan asked with a hint of amusement.
"Not bored! I have the fish for company."
Leng Ruo Li pointed at the fish swimming in the lake below the bridge.
Immediately, Bai Yu Xuan burst into a loud laugh.
"The fish can't talk, how can they be your company?"
"They can't talk, but they can bring us some joy. For example, we can take some dry food crumbs, throw them into the water to feed them, and then you will see those fish swimming in schools, rushing to get them, leaping in the water, fighting over them, stirring up ripples! Making the person feeding them incredibly happy! Joyful fish leaps! The joy of feeding fish is in that!"
As she spoke, Leng Ruo Li took a small biscuit from her sleeve, broke it into pieces, and then threw them into the lake bit by bit, immediately attracting a crowd of fish scrambling for them.
Bai Yu Xuan looked on in bewilderment, finding no fun in this at all.
Alas—
Bai Yu Xuan sighed inwardly. This Leng Ruo Li was truly a pitiable child. Because of her ugly appearance, almost everyone kept their distance from her.
However, she herself kept company away because she couldn't stand the affectation of those official young ladies and didn't want to associate with them.
She and Leng Ruo Li had one thing in common: neither of them had any like-minded companions to have fun with.
But just then, a small maid wearing a pale pink dress, with a mole on the lower left side of her chin, suddenly ran over and called out to Bai Yu Xuan.
"County Princess, County Princess, the wife of the Marquis of Jing Yuan asks you to come to her side quickly," the little maid said anxiously.
"What happened? What's wrong with my mother?"
Bai Yu Xuan asked with some confusion after hearing this.
"This servant doesn't know. She just said for you to go over quickly."
The little maid lowered her head, her eyes darting around.
Listening to the little maid's words, Leng Ruo Li felt something was amiss, but she couldn't quite pinpoint it.
Then, she heard Bai Yu Xuan say, "Then hurry up and lead the way for this County Princess."
"Yes, County Princess."
The little maid replied obediently and walked in front of Bai Yu Xuan to lead the way.
Leng Ruo Li looked back at the two of them, her eyebrows twitching.
After Bai Yu Xuan left, she lingered for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, then planned to return to the main hall. But after only a few steps, she suddenly heard a woman's cry for help coming from ahead.
Wasn't the owner of this voice Bai Yu Xuan?
Leng Ruo Li ran quickly in the direction of the sound and soon arrived at another large artificial lake in the Xia residence's garden.
"Help... help... ah!"
"Waa... waa... who... come... save... me..."
At this moment, a girl was struggling in the water in the center of the artificial lake. Leng Ruo Li looked closely at the girl's clothes and realized that the girl who had fallen into the water was Bai Yu Xuan.
She raised her eyes and quickly scanned the area around the lake, finding no one else nearby except herself.
Leng Ruo Li swiftly took off her shoes and, without hesitation, jumped into the lake, swimming towards the center.
At this moment, several people suddenly rushed out from the side of the lake, shouting loudly, "Someone has fallen into the water! Someone has fallen into the water! Hurry and save them! Leng Ruo Li pushed the Qing Ling County Princess into the water!"
These people shouted several times by the lakeside, quickly attracting the surrounding crowd. Everyone pointed and gossiped at Leng Ruo Li, who was saving the girl in the lake.
At this moment, the wife of the Marquis of Jing Yuan, who was chatting with the officials' wives in the plum blossom garden, rushed to the lakeside in a panic, crying upon hearing that her daughter had been pushed into the lake.
The four princes, Grand Tutor Xia, Leng Jin Yu, the Marquis of Jing Yuan, Xia Shan Yi, Xia Ling Xuan, and others, also rushed to the lakeside after hearing the news.
Meanwhile, Leng Ruo Li, who had just reached the center of the lake, could no longer see Bai Yu Xuan struggling on the water's surface. Anxious, she dove to the bottom of the lake to search for Bai Yu Xuan.
After about ten more seconds, Leng Ruo Li finally found Bai Yu Xuan, grabbed her by the collar of her back, held her head above the water, and swam towards the shore.
After another minute, Leng Ruo Li reached the shore. Madam An and Madam Jiang, who had just rushed over, lent Leng Ruo Li a hand, and they finally pulled Bai Yu Xuan ashore. At this moment, Bai Yu Xuan had stopped breathing and her body had become ice-cold. Leng Ruo Li quickly cleared her mouth and nose and was about to perform CPR.
However, she was inexplicably slapped by the wife of the Marquis of Jing Yuan.
"You ugly, poisonous woman, you pushed my daughter into the lake, and then you pretend to be kind by saving her. Do you think I will be grateful to you?"
Leng Ruo Li, having been slapped for no reason, became furious.
"Did you see me push your daughter into the lake? Without proof, don't spew baseless accusations," Leng Ruo Li shouted at her.
The wife of the Marquis of Jing Yuan was momentarily stunned. She hadn't actually seen Leng Ruo Li push Bai Yu Xuan into the lake, but everyone by the lakeside claimed Leng Ruo Li was the culprit who pushed her daughter into the lake, so she believed them.
"If you don't want your daughter to die, get away quickly!"
As she said this, Leng Ruo Li exuded a chilling aura. The early winter lake water was already cold, and with the chill radiating from her body, the onlookers couldn't help but feel a bone-chilling cold.
Madam An and Madam Jiang, being perceptive, pulled the wife of the Marquis of Jing Yuan away.
Leng Ruo Li quickly proceeded with artificial respiration for Bai Yu Xuan.
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