Without finishing a complete sentence, Mrs. Yuan already couldn’t stop crying.
Han Xuzi glanced at her and stepped into the courtyard.
This humble little courtyard was even inferior to the servants’ quarters of the Han Family.
Ming Yang and Ru Yue were also kneeling on the ground, "Greeting the elder master!"
Han Xuzi still didn’t look at them, his gaze only found Yun Jinnian, standing at the entrance, dressed in a nun’s attire.
Her complexion wasn’t bad.
But those eyes, they pained Han Xuzi’s heart.
Seeing her relative, there was no joy, no ripple, only a calm and somewhat warm gaze upon him.
"Jinnian, aren’t you going to greet your grandfather?"
Yun Jinnian came back to her senses, moved forward a few steps, curtsied, and paid her respects, "Jinnian greets grandfather!"
"Get up!" Han Xuzi helped Yun Jinnian up and asked, "Have you been well these years?"
No joys shared, no worries told, just three words, quite well.
Han Xuzi intended to say a few words, but then he smelled a faint scent of medicinal herbs on Yun Jinnian, not those of low quality, but extremely well-processed, top-grade herbs.
"Won’t you invite your grandfather in to sit?"
Yun Jinnian quickly said, "Grandfather, please!" She then called to Mrs. Yuan, Ming Yang, and Ru Yue still kneeling on the ground, "You all get up, go to the kitchen and brew a pot of tea for grandfather!"
Han Zhong stood at the entrance, while Abbess Hui Ling had already left.
"Uncle Zhong, long time no see!"
Han Zhong nodded, "Greeting the young lady!"
Yun Jinnian entered the room and invited Han Xuzi to sit down.
Yun Jinnian did not ask why Han Xuzi had come; she feared if she did and he was just visiting, she would be disappointed and saddened.
She also feared that asking would put Han Xuzi in a difficult position.
After all, she was the daughter of the Yun Family and the granddaughter of the Han Family.
Seeing that Yun Jinnian remained silent, Han Xuzi took a deep breath.
"What did you learn at Yingci’an?"
"I recognized characters and copied some Buddhist scriptures!"
"Can I have a look at them?" Han Xuzi asked tentatively.
Yun Jinnian stood up, walked over to the desk, and fetched a stack of rice paper with neat and graceful handwriting on it.
Yun Jinnian placed it in front of Han Xuzi, "Grandfather!"
Han Xuzi picked it up, looked it over, and found nothing particularly remarkable, nor anything bad.
"Hmm, your writing is not bad!"
Yun Jinnian smiled faintly without exposing Han Xuzi’s forced compliment.
In fact, besides her medical skills, her greatest strength was in imitation. Chu Liange once asked her to copy the Emperor’s handwriting in her dreams, an exact match that no one could distinguish.
And the Imperial Decree that Chu Liange ascend to the throne was naturally not written by the Emperor’s hand, but was imitated by her, so Chu Liange wanted her dead, probably because she knew too much!
To break her hands and feet, pull out her tongue, see how she would write or speak then.
His secret would then be unknown to anyone.
A usurper should be put to death by everyone!
Han Xuzi didn’t know how to communicate with Yun Jinnian. He feared saying too much and frightening her, but he also feared that Yun Jinnian actually knew everything and hated him for it.
Another heavy silence ensued.
Just then, Mrs. Yuan came in with the tea, "Elder master, miss, have some tea!"
The tea was very bitter, obviously of the most common kind and not well roasted.
Han Xuzi found it difficult to stay any longer.
He grimly finished the tea in one gulp, swallowing the bitterness in his heart.
The most cherished child of the Han Family, yet treated so harshly.
"Jinnian, have you had dinner yet? As it happens, your grandfather hasn’t eaten either; I wonder if I could dine with you here?"
Han Xuzi deliberately made it sound humorous, thinking Yun Jinnian would play along.
Unexpectedly, Yun Jinnian simply smiled lightly and nodded, "Nanny, please bring the meals, and you all go have your dinner as well!"