Miao Yi

He Miaoyi was teased by everyone, but she didn't care at all. She simply ate the large peach in her hand clean before taking the handkerchief from the maid to wipe her mouth. Lin Xu had already walked to the pavilion with Yin'er and said softly:

"Third sister is in high spirits."

Dou Zhen turned around at the sound, her eyes lighting up with surprise: "Second sister-in-law!"

Today was her coming-of-age ceremony, and as the main character, she was busy all day with almost no free time. After the ceremony was over, she saw the Crown Princess and the fourth daughter of Prince Gong making things difficult for Lin Xu. She was thinking of finding time to go find Lin Xu when she learned that Dou Yanxun had already taken her back to rest, so she gave up.

Her mother also asked her to look after the new batch of noble ladies who would arrive in the evening, and she was really overwhelmed and felt very tired.

Seeing this, the others all called out to Lin Xu.

Lin Xu glanced at the crowd and roughly knew that these girls were all around the same age as Dou Zhen. Hearing them mention studying at Zhiqiong Hall, he guessed that they were another group of aristocratic children studying at the school after he left.

After all, there is no shortage of such bright and beautiful faces in this capital city.

There was never a shortage of noble ladies as beautiful as flowers. One batch of flowers withered, and in the blink of an eye, new buds were ready to bloom, endlessly.

It was getting late, and seeing Lin Xu present, the young girls felt embarrassed to continue discussing the thoughts of young ladies. So they each lowered their heads, drank their amber soup, and then left with their fathers or mothers who had come to the banquet.

He Miaoyi, however, rested her cheek on her right hand, staring blankly at the distant flowerbeds, lost in thought. Seeing that she showed no sign of leaving, Lin Xu couldn't help but smile slightly.

"I saw you once before at the Princess's residence, and I never expected to have the chance to see you again today. I heard that General He was unwell recently; is he well now?"

He Miaoyi nodded politely. Perhaps she wasn't familiar with Lin Xu, as she appeared somewhat reserved but very courteous.

"Thank you for your concern, Madam Dou. However, my elder brother's back injury is an old ailment, and now that his leg injury has not healed, the old ailment has relapsed. I'm afraid he will need more time to recuperate."

After chatting for a while, Lin Xu learned that He Miaoyi had come to the banquet alone, accompanied only by an old nanny and a maid. She planned to stay at the Dou family's residence for a few days. Upon learning this, Madam Bai had already prepared the closest wing room to Dou Zhen's residence, Ningyue Tower. Therefore, He Miaoyi was not in a hurry to leave.

As the evening breeze stirred, Lin Xu looked through the inky darkness at He Miaoyi's full, bright face, still bearing a hint of childlike innocence. He couldn't help but recall that in his previous life, this was the very same He Miaoyi, the second young lady of the He family, who would later be exceptionally granted the title of princess by Emperor Su and forced to leave her home to marry into the Ye Dynasty...

In his previous life, he and He Miaoyi had barely met, let alone become acquainted. He had only heard that the Ye Dynasty had specifically requested a royal woman for the marriage alliance. Emperor Su had few children, and it was quite difficult to choose between several young princesses and Princess Kunrou, who had already been on the battlefield. Later, for some reason, the He family was chosen.

The He family not only had its patriarch, He Luanshan, who held the rank of General of the Cavalry, but also its only son, He Qijiang, who was invincible in battle. How could such a family with outstanding military achievements end up with the marriage opportunity going to the He family?

Moreover, it is said that He Miaoyi died of melancholy a few years after her marriage, longing for her hometown.

Dou Zhen quickly finished seeing off the girls and returned. Seeing Lin Xu, who was wearing a cloak but still looked worried and frail, she couldn't help but worry:

"Sister-in-law, you'd better not come here with me to catch a cold. If my little nephew catches a cold, who knows what my second brother will do to me!"

He Miaoyi then realized that Lin Xu was pregnant, and when she looked at Lin Xu's lower abdomen, her eyes held a hint of curiosity and caution. Lin Xu couldn't do anything about Dou Zhen's expression: "It's only been a month or so, how can you know if it's a boy or a girl? You've only just come of age, but you've become quite bold."

Dou Zhen then remembered that she had managed to sew a lot of bibs and socks for Lin Xu's baby in her spare time these past few days, so she took Lin Xu's arm and went to Ningyue Tower, where she lived, for a short rest and tea, and gave Lin Xu the things she had made.

Lin Xu couldn't refuse her, and besides, he had just come to find Dou Zhen because he was thinking about such an important event as her coming-of-age ceremony, but he hadn't had a chance to congratulate her in person, so he went with He Miaoyi.

The group sat inside the hall. Seeing the cold weather, Pan'er had lit a warm charcoal fire early in the morning, and the tranquil, lingering scent of sandalwood created a very comfortable atmosphere. Lin Xu had Zhu Ling bring out a gift she had prepared beforehand and presented it to Dou Zhen. Dou Zhen opened the exquisite little box and was immediately delighted:

"Didn't my sister-in-law already give me a set of nine-linked rings? Why did she prepare this one as well?"

Inside, there was a mother-of-pearl inlaid silver makeup mirror, made by the most famous silversmith in Qingyang. The pattern was very exquisite. Next to it was a sachet that she had sewn herself, containing a calming incense formula, all of which was personally mixed by Luo Shilan and was the most calming.

As early as the last few days Lin Xu stayed in Laining, Luo Shilan had already thought it over and packed her bags to report to Yuancao Residence where Zhiyuan lived.

Although Luo Shilan appears gentle, she is actually quite stubborn. Once she makes a decision, she leaves no room for turning back. To seek refuge with Lin Xu, she not only sold her tea shop in Qingyang but also sold all her remaining possessions, traveling light to Mujing.

Although Lin Xu had anticipated Luo Shilan's decision, she was still overjoyed. She had chosen Luo Shilan because of her quick wit and intelligence, believing she would be of great use in the future. However, she hadn't expected Luo Shilan to not only be skilled with tea but also knowledgeable about herbs, having already sent her quite a few calming spices. This was indeed an unexpected delight.

He Miaoyi has been accompanying He Qijiang to see many famous doctors at home and is already quite familiar with some common medicinal herbs. She doesn't have many hobbies, but making and identifying fragrances is one of them. Just by glancing at the sachet that was emitting a faint herbal aroma, He Miaoyi said:

"At first glance, this incense has a faint woody scent, but it also has a subtle warmth. It must be made by combining sandalwood, poria cocos, and nard, and then slowly smoking it over a low flame for several days to achieve this fragrance. It is truly a good product."

Upon hearing this, Dou Zhen quickly put away the sachet, thanked Lin Xu, and then smiled at He Miaoyi, saying, "I never knew that Miaoyi was also quite knowledgeable about incense. I thought you were only very skilled in appreciating fine food!"

The two had often gathered at the Princess's residence with Princess Kunrou before, and were quite familiar with each other in private. He Miaoyi wasn't annoyed. While drinking the hot milk tea that Pan'er brought over, which was topped with a generous layer of crushed peanuts and black sesame seeds, the aroma was enticing. She closed her eyes slightly and shook her head in praise:

"If I had known that your little kitchen in Dou San was so good at cooking, I would have come much sooner. Not only would I have come, but I probably would have stayed and refused to leave!"

Lin Xu and Dou Zhen couldn't help but laugh at her appearance.

Through the rising steam, Lin Xu felt as if he could see He Miaoyi a few years later, married to the Ye Dynasty, and dying a melancholy death. He was momentarily lost in thought.

The group sat for a while longer, but since she needed to rest early, Dou Zhen didn't keep her any longer. She simply took out the baby items she had embroidered earlier and gave them to Lin Xu. She then called Yin'er to carry the lamps and carefully escorted Lin Xu back home.

.

The bright moon hangs high in the sky, and the night is utterly desolate.

Inside the main hall of the East Courtyard, after a busy day, Madam Bai finally removed her jeweled crown and changed into a pine-smoky-colored jacket with floral patterns. She sat gracefully on the soft couch in the hall, enjoying tea with her cousin, Madam Zhong, who had come from afar.

It was rare for Madam Zhong to come all this way, and she even helped with many of the hospitality matters during the day. Madam Bai was very grateful and sighed, "It's a pity that my household is in turmoil. Both of my wives are from high-ranking families, but now the eldest son's family is failing, and the second son's family is disloyal. If it weren't for your help today, I don't know how much gossip would have been directed at me. I really feel sorry for you."

At forty years old, even though she had lived in the inner quarters for a long time and was very familiar with welcoming and seeing off guests, she still felt a backache. She laughed and said, "Old lady, you're too kind. I'm just keeping the ladies company and exchanging pleasantries. How could I be tired?"

Madam Zhong took a sip of the warm Biluochun tea and said, "Besides, which of these guests today isn't a prominent figure in Mujing? How could we dare to offend them? We can only be careful in our dealings with them."

After speaking, Madam Zhong put down her teacup, recalling the commotion during the day, and couldn't help but snort coldly: "However, my dear sister put so much effort into this arrangement today, and it was almost ruined by that Lin family. I saw that the Crown Princess's face was very unpleasant at the time, and even the Princess Consort of Gong in the crowd looked displeased."

These words struck a nerve with Bai, who let out a long sigh, her displeasure quickly showing in her eyes:

"...But you don't know, ever since she married into the family, has the Dou family ever had a single day of peace? The second son was originally a son born out of wedlock. He was obedient when he was lowly, but now, influenced by her, he has become arrogant and ignorant. Now that the second son has gained power, why can the second branch of the family still abide by the rules?"

Since remarrying into the Gu family, Madam Zhong had put a lot of effort into managing the affairs of the inner quarters, gradually gaining a foothold. She was well aware of the disdain in Madam Bai's words, and smiled:

“My dear sister, you’re being too hasty. As the mother-in-law, you naturally have many ways to deal with a daughter-in-law. If she’s too independent, just clip her wings and that’s it. No matter how much trouble she causes, she won’t be able to fly away… Besides, is this the only one the second son has by his side? You should arrange for some of your own sensible maids to go over there. Otherwise, judging from her reaction today, I think she’ll definitely cause a huge uproar in no time.”

Lady Bai was already worried that Dou Huaisheng usually neglected the affairs of the inner quarters, and now that Fu Lian was absent, she had no one to consult with. So she said angrily:

"I've tried all these methods. Not to mention the maids, even the two I sent before the marriage are all dead. The illegitimate son is just like his mother, with a very vicious mind. In order to keep them in check, I even married off a loyal and close servant. I thought he would still help me in Laining, but I didn't expect that before the plan could be completed, the second son was promoted and returned to the capital..."

Ever since marrying Fu Lian to the Qiu family in Laining, Madam Bai felt as if she had lost her left and right arms, and nothing felt right. She had been waiting for Fu Lian to gain a foothold in the Qiu family so that she could keep Dou Yanxun in check, but she never expected that she would lose both her wife and her army.

Madam Zhong smiled, her eyes full of calculation, "This young lady still has a kind heart; no wonder she's been a vegetarian and chanting Buddhist scriptures for so many years. In my opinion..."

Before the words were finished, a respectful maid's voice suddenly came from outside the curtain at the door:

"Madam, Aunt Guo has brought some snacks for you."