Chapter 8: Same Flower

In the past life, Luo Jinyan had no knowledge of the existence of Luo Shao. It seems that the situation in this life is similar, with a stagnant career, living as a minor official in obscurity. With his position and reputation, it is not enough to reach the harem.

After being reborn, Luo Jinyan never thought that being a parent official like his father was a bad thing.

Take Qin Jue for example, he became the Grand Academician of Huagai Hall before the age of thirty, not only due to his personal abilities, but also due to the emperor's favor. However, on the second day of the new emperor's accession, he left a letter of resignation and disappeared from his residence, leaving behind only a set of ceremonial robes.

Thinking of Qin Jue, the veins on Luo Jinyan's forehead couldn't help but bulge. If he had stayed by the side of the new emperor Zhao Si, with his domineering strength, how could Yang Shanzong and Geng Wenyi control the court and manipulate the emperor? If he had fulfilled Emperor Renzong's wish and become a true trusted minister, how could Zhao Si have died at the hands of a few eunuchs?

"Miss, what's wrong with you?"

Summer's anxious voice came into her ears, and only then did Luo Jinyan come to her senses, realizing that she had bitten her lips until they bled without realizing it.

She weakly smiled, her face devoid of any color, causing Summer to become even more worried.

Luo Jinyan secretly blamed herself. In this life, she would not be sent to the palace, so she would not marry Zhao Ji, nor would she give birth to Zhao Si. Even if the imperial power still fell into the hands of the Zhao family after Zhao Ji's death, it would have nothing to do with her.

She was worrying for no reason.

In this life, she was just the daughter of a seventh-rank county official, and after growing up, she would marry a well-off scholar and live a peaceful life. As for the changes in the court, let the Zhao family worry about it themselves.

But her Zhao Si would never grow up.

She stood outside her father's courtyard for a long time before finally walking in with a composed expression.

At only twenty-five or twenty-six years old, Luo Shao was young and handsome, despite being bedridden, he still looked spirited and healthy, without any signs of illness.

"Dad... Dad..."

Upon hearing his youngest daughter's sweet and struggling voice, Luo Shao's face was filled with indulgence. Leaning against the dark green Zhangrong pillow, he tightly embraced his daughter who had thrown herself into his arms, clumsily wiping away the tears from her eyes, then pushing her away slightly to carefully examine her, "It seems like you've lost some weight. Are you not used to the food in the capital? Xixi, it's my neglect. I should have told Xia Zhi to order some delicious food for you at the restaurant."

Xixi was Luo Jinyan's childhood nickname.

Staying in someone else's house and having to order food at a restaurant, how could this be the way a guest should be treated?

Luo Jinyan broke into a smile through her tears, playfully rubbing her tears and snot on her father's clothes. Luo Shao didn't mind, and he took out a small redwood and gold-plated box from the side, presenting it to Luo Jinyan as if offering a treasure, "Open it and see if you like it."

Whether in Jiangxi or Xingtang, her father often searched for interesting and beautiful things for her.

Luo Jinyan tilted her head, examining the box as if trying to guess what treasure it held, her serious expression making Luo Shao unable to contain his laughter. He never thought of his daughter as a burden, on the contrary, he always believed that this clever and sensible daughter was not only a treasure left to him by his wife, but also the greatest gift from heaven.

"You'll know once you open it. Hurry, open it," he urged.

Only then did Luo Jinyan open the box, revealing a brass-gold cloisonné enamel pocket watch inside.

Luo Jinyan was surprised, her small mouth hanging open. What a beautiful pocket watch.

She carefully took out the pocket watch, unable to let it go. Such a pocket watch would be hard to find in the entire capital, and it would cost at least a thousand taels.

Her father didn't even have a pocket watch.

Luo Jinyan handed the pocket watch to Luo Shao, and with effort, said, "Dad... use it..."

Her voice was somewhat muffled, but Luo Shao still understood his daughter's meaning.

Feeling somewhat emotional, Luo Shao realized that his seven-year-old daughter already understood the importance of showing respect to her elders. His heart warmed at the thought.

"Dad's official position is low, and carrying such a pocket watch with him would attract attention. But you're different. You're a wealthy young lady, and others would be offended if they even glanced at your things. You can carry this pocket watch with you. When you get married in the future, I'll find a clock with a mechanism for you as part of your dowry."

Seeing her daughter's face light up with a smile once again, Luo Shao was satisfied, and he opened the lid of the pocket watch, teaching his daughter how to read the Western clock. The father and daughter tacitly avoided mentioning his injury.

When a maid came in to say that the third nephew was asking if there were any instructions from the old master, Luo Jinyan got up to bid her father farewell. Luo Shao smiled and said, "In terms of planting flowers and plants, although Changping may not be as good as Fengtai, it still has some reputation. There's a flower house in the manor, let Chang Guixifu take you to see it."

Luo Jinyan nodded with a smile and left her father's courtyard, but Summer did not come out with her. It wasn't until Luo Jinyan had spent a long time in the flower house that Summer came in, panting.

"Miss, I've reported everything about our time in the capital and on the way to the old master. The old master was furious and asked the third nephew to invite Lord Luo."

Luo Jinyan stared at a pot of camellias on the flower rack, and said softly, "...You... go... watch..."

At this point, she stopped, her forehead already covered in a thin layer of sweat. Summer, feeling sorry for her, wiped her sweat with a handkerchief and then held out her hand, "Miss, let's not talk about it. You should write."

Luo Jinyan's lips curled slightly, shaking her head at Xia Zhi, and continued, "......Stare......at.....Lao......Qi......"

Because she exerted too much force, her snow-like cheeks flushed, but she was excited inside. This time she managed to say four words!

This was progress. In the past, she struggled to utter just one or two words. Once, she managed to say three words and then fainted from exhaustion.

But today, although she felt a bit dizzy and her throat was dry, she was still standing.

The maid beside her, however, was not impressed. Was the young lady really mute? But speaking was so difficult for her that it was no different from being mute. At least she couldn't make out what the young lady was saying.

But Xia Zhi could understand.

The young lady asked her to keep an eye on Lao Qi.

Today, the young lady said a lot of words. She spoke to the wife of Chang Gui, she spoke to the master, and she spoke the most to her. And in the end, she said four words.

She happily agreed and ran out of the flower room.

Luo Jinyan looked at the lush camellias in front of her, lost in thought.

The flower lady saw Xia Zhi leave and took the opportunity to approach Luo Jinyan, saying, "Miss, these are camellias. Over there, we also have zhuang yuan hong and liu jiao da hong. I am the head of the Zhang family, ranked second. If you like, I can pick the best ones and move them to your room."

Upon hearing this, Luo Jinyan shifted her gaze from the camellias and looked around. Sure enough, there were zhuang yuan hong and liu jiao da hong.

She asked, "......Sprinkle......gold......"

Perhaps because she had exerted too much effort speaking earlier, she couldn't manage to say more than two words this time.

Fortunately, Zhang Er managed to understand. She thought for a moment and suddenly realized, "Miss, are you talking about the sprinkled gold treasure beads? We have a pot of them. I'll have it brought over to you."

The sprinkled gold treasure beads had white petals mixed with red. Back then, more than ten pots of sprinkled gold treasure beads were presented from Wuxi. She liked them very much and had two pots moved to the study.

But a few days later, she heard a eunuch by Zhao Ji's side say, "The maidservants all said that this flower was sent by the Empress Dowager, but Qin Daren said that camellias should either be as clear as jade or as red as the morning glow. Flowers like this, neither white nor red, are like a flawed jade, difficult to meet the emperor's standards. He ordered them to be moved back to where they came from."

She remembered being so angry at the time that she gave all the pots of sprinkled gold treasure beads to Qin Jue's wife.

And Qin Jue surprisingly remained unmarried.

These sprinkled gold treasure beads were returned as they were.

She was so ashamed and angry that she had all the flowers thrown away. Since then, there had been no sprinkled gold treasure beads in the palace.

The Zhang family quickly brought over the sprinkled gold treasure beads. The petals were layered and gathered in the middle to form the shape of a treasure bead, truly beautiful.

Luo Jinyan pointed at the pot of sprinkled gold treasure beads and said to the Zhang family, "......Want......"

Zhang Er understood and had the little maid take the flowers to the young lady's room.

Luo Jinyan watched the maid carrying the flowers walk away and smiled slightly.

In this life, she would never encounter Qin Jue again. She felt that whatever flower she found beautiful was indeed the most beautiful.