Chapter 2 The Xie Family Mansion, Qin Garden

Inside the quaint hall, the three sat down to prepare for lunch. Wen Miao initially felt a little awkward and strange, but when she saw that the table was full of her favorite foods, her expression softened, as if she had found some of the love and care between relatives in the Xie family.

After the meal, the group chatted for a while, and then Xie Jingxuan asked Shi Cui and Wan Bi to take Wen Miao to the backyard to rest.

After Wen Miao left, Xie Mengjun, who had been sitting quietly and obediently, suddenly spoke up: "Great-grandfather, my new cousin is so beautiful, like a fairy from heaven."

Xie Jingxuan took a sip of tea and gently patted the top of her head. "Mengjun, you can't add the word 'new' to her name anymore. She's your family. You have to treat your aunt well. We're family."

"Mengjun understands."

Xie Jingxuan's eyes were full of satisfaction. "Good boy."

On the other side, Wen Miao was led by two maids to a small courtyard. The characters on the plaque were bold and powerful, and the inscription read "Qinyuan".

The name evokes a sense of tranquility and joy, yet the characters themselves possess a somewhat fierce quality.

Wen Miao: "Who wrote these characters?"

She remembered that Shi Cui had said that Xie Gong was extremely skilled in calligraphy and painting, and had even taken on students in Jinling in his early years. Judging from his words and actions, his calligraphy should not be so fierce.

Wanbi subconsciously said, "Madam, this character means 'master'..."

Shi Cui subtly pinched Wan Bi's arm.

"It is the work of a great calligrapher who has lived in the capital for a long time. In the future, when your wife stays in the capital for a long time, she will also be able to see it."

Wen Miao didn't notice the subtle interaction between the two maids. She simply nodded to indicate that she understood and stepped inside.

Qinyuan was prepared by the mansion specifically for Xie Gong's granddaughter, Wen Miao, but in Wen Miao's opinion, it was a bit too perfect in every way.

—It suits her taste.

A strange feeling arose spontaneously, and before Wen Miao could think it through, Shi Cui's clear voice called out to the maid in the courtyard.

There were more than a dozen servants serving here alone. Wen Miao felt a little uncomfortable with them and tried to avoid them, telling Shi Cui and Wan Bi to make the arrangements.

After Wen Miao went into the inner room, she took off her outer robe and took off her hair bun, looking somewhat exhausted, and lay down on the soft bed.

Wanbi lowered the gauze curtain, blurring her vision. Before long, she drifted off to sleep, but her delicate brows furrowed slightly without her realizing it.

Outside the room, Shi Cui's smile vanished, her eyes turning cold and sharp as she looked at the servants in the courtyard. She lowered her voice and said:

"You know what you should and shouldn't say. In this courtyard, all you need to do is serve the lady well. As for anything else..."

She chuckled lightly, her sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"Madam is kind-hearted, but I cannot tolerate any injustice in my eyes."

After settling the servants, Shi Cui turned to Wan Bi and said coldly, "Go down and receive your punishment. Also, watch your mouth and don't say anything out of line."

Wanbi did not refute, "I'll trouble you with Madam's affairs for now, sister."

Shi Cui: "It's only right."

Wen Miao was unaware that Shi Cui outside had helped her establish her authority. She slept until noon, and when she woke up, the sun was much gentler.

In early spring, the room was still gloomy. Wen Miao, with her hair down and wearing only a nightgown and a cover-up, leaned against the chaise longue, continuing to read the book "Records of Local Customs" in her hand. She also asked Shi Cui to fetch a few books related to the Great Chu from the small study in the courtyard.

After reading only two pages, a small head peeked out from outside the courtyard gate, its hair adorned with velvet flowers that trembled like kitten ears.

Wen Miao waved.

The little girl hiding behind the courtyard gate immediately ran in, stepped over the threshold, and walked to the chaise lounge.

The servants who were attending to Xie Mengjun caught up from behind, carefully bowed and said "Madam Wen", and then obediently stayed in the courtyard.

“It’s Meng Jun, isn’t it?” Wen Miao asked.

The little girl nodded, "Greetings, Auntie."

"Is there something you need from me?"

Xie Mengjun: "My cousin is beautiful, and I want to be as beautiful as her, so I want to look at her more often."

Wen Miao smiled and, despite her amnesia, felt a sense of closeness to the little girl. She handed her the plate of snacks on the table and asked, "Want some?"

Xie Mengjun subconsciously reached out, but paused just before touching the pastry, her lips slightly pursed, "I can't eat it, I'll get fat."

At the last flower-viewing banquet, Meng Yuanniang from the Duke of Wei's mansion said that she looked like a steamed bun filled with meat! Other girls laughed at her, saying that she came from a humble family in the countryside and was not as elegant, refined, delicate and beautiful as the noble ladies in the capital.

Wen Miao was taken aback. Suddenly, she remembered that in the "Records of Customs and Things," it was written that in the early days of the founding of the Great Chu, a tall and slender figure was highly valued. However, the Consort Li in the late emperor's palace regarded frailty as beauty, which set the trend in the capital. Young women ate little every day and learned to wrap their chests and waists tightly in order to highlight their delicate and willow-like appearance.

When superiors have a certain preference, those below will follow suit even more fervently. However, Wen Miao believes that beauty should be diverse.

At that moment, Xie Mengjun's stomach growled.

The servants in her room dared not interfere, or rather, they were preoccupied with the trends in the capital. And since there were only male elders in the household, it was difficult for them to notice the girl's hidden thoughts for the sake of beauty.

Wen Miao didn't urge the other person to eat some snacks, but instead asked, "Does Mengjun still think Auntie is pretty?"

Xie Mengjun nodded earnestly, "My aunt is the most beautiful person I've ever seen!"

Wen Miao smiled. "But my aunt doesn't deliberately go hungry."

Xie Mengjun's face was full of conflict. She stared at her aunt's plump and fair skin, then blushed and glanced at the other's mature and graceful body. Finally, she hesitated for a moment, picked up the pastry, and put it in her mouth.

So delicious!

Xie Mengjun spent the entire afternoon in Wen Miao's room, and even had dinner there that evening.

Looking at her beautiful cousin, who was so attractive that she could eat her fill, the young girl, who had always been restrained from her appetite, ate her fill for the first time since puberty. The maids and servants serving her hesitated to speak, but dared not say anything.

After Xie Mengjun left Qinyuan, Wen Miao looked at Shi Cui.

She asked, "Why haven't I seen Wanbi?"

Shi Cui replied, "Wan Bi is careless. She fell while Madam was taking a nap, so I told her to go and rest... Does Madam have any instructions for her? Perhaps I should call her over?"

Wen Miao shook her head, recalling Wan Bi's previous agile and capable demeanor. "It's nothing, tell her to rest well."

She paused, then said uncertainly, "When I packed my things to come to the Xie residence before, I remember there was some ointment for treating bruises and sprains. Could you take it to Wanbi later?"

Shi Cui: "Madam, that medicine is very precious..."

Wen Miao blurted out subconsciously, "Then no one is more precious than others."

Shi Cui was taken aback, and after a moment she bowed and thanked her: "This servant thanks Madam on behalf of Wan Bi."

After Shi Cui left the room, Wen Miao rubbed her head strangely, her eyes, as clear as spring water, sparkling with confusion.

Everyone clearly knows the difference between superior and inferior, noble and lowly, so why does she find it so strange... This should be common knowledge that the people of the Great Chu should know, right?

Meanwhile, inside the Xie family study—

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Xie Jingxuan bowed and knelt on the ground. The candlelight in the room was dim and shadowy, and only a tall and upright figure could be vaguely seen standing in front of the window, his eyes filled with snow that never melts, looking towards the location of Qinyuan Garden in the mansion.

If Wen Miao were here, she might remember that the person Xie Jingxuan was kneeling before was the very "benefactor" who had made way for her today.

The emperor, with his hands clasped behind his back, appeared incognito at his minister's home. He was still looking out the window when, as Xie Jingxuan waited anxiously, he said, "Rise."

Xie Jingxuan obediently stood up. His kind face, which appeared calm during the day, was actually turbulent inside, and cold sweat poured down his temples.

His Xie family was indeed sparsely populated, with his children dying young and only a great-granddaughter remaining. Although Xie Jingxuan was an official in Jinling, he was only a low-ranking official, and his life was not very good. He was oppressed by his superiors and almost had his only great-granddaughter, Xie Mengjun, bullied by villains.

But a few months ago, a nobleman from the capital assigned him a strange job.

Xie Jingxuan took a gamble for his young great-granddaughter, but unexpectedly, he was promoted and returned to the capital. He gained the emperor's favor and became a popular figure in the capital, with his house always bustling with visitors.

There's only one thing: he must take good care of his new granddaughter, Miaoniang, and there can be no mistakes.

Today, no sooner had Wen Miao returned to the Xie residence than His Majesty was waiting in the four-cornered pavilion, secretly watching over everything concerning Miao Niang, inquiring about every single detail, from her food, clothing, and daily necessities to every flower and blade of grass in Qin Garden, even the plaque... which was written by His Majesty himself!

Xie Jingxuan was both alarmed by His Majesty's almost terrifying desire for control and surprised by the other party's understanding of Miao Niang. He could only be more careful and strive for perfection.

The emperor withdrew his gaze, his eyes sweeping lightly over Xie Jingxuan. His tone was cold and unreadable, sounding like a reprimand or a warning.

"Please remember, Xie Gongjin, that you are her maternal grandfather and her relative. You should naturally treat her with kindness and remember her preferences and favorites."

Xie Jingxuan nodded in agreement, but couldn't help thinking to himself that the emperor's heart was unfathomable.

Now that the emperor is over thirty, the harem remains empty, and he doesn't even have a maidservant to serve him. The court officials are in a state of great anxiety. Even if the emperor wanted to take a commoner woman into the palace as a concubine, no one would object. Why go through all this trouble?

He concealed his doubts and did his utmost to be cautious in his words and actions.

The emperor did not stay at the Xie residence for long. After inquiring about Wen Miao's affairs, he sent an imperial physician disguised as a physician to Qin Garden. After listening to the report, he got up to return to the palace.

The imperial carriage departed silently into the night, unknown to anyone in the Xie residence except Xie Jingxuan. Meanwhile, the candlelight in the Wenyuan Hall of the palace remained lit until midnight after the imperial carriage returned to the palace.

After reviewing the last memorial, the emperor pinched the bridge of his nose and gave a hoarse order:

"Xu Sheng, go to Shou Kang Palace and tell Consort Rong to hold a palace banquet when the weather gets warmer."

"Yes, sir."

Xu Sheng responded, his eyes darting around before he said, "Your Majesty, cherries will be sent from the south in a few days. Would you like me to think of a way to send some to Your Highness?"

Upon hearing this, the Wenyuan Hall fell silent.

The emperor, seated at the head of the table, casually lowered his eyelashes, his gaze dark yet carrying immense force when it fell upon those around him.

Xu Sheng stared intently at the tips of his shoes, but he did not regret blurting out "Master and Your Majesty".

Having served in the palace for many years, he knew the Emperor better than Xie Jingxuan. From the plans made months ago to the present, if he guessed correctly, His Majesty not only wanted to bring Lady Wen into the palace, but also wanted to elevate her to the position of Empress.

That was a position coveted by countless people, yet none could seize it. And now? His Majesty has schemed and manipulated it, deliberately handing it over to someone else. Even if Xu Sheng were a bit dim-witted, he could sense that something was amiss.

Right now, he's just taking a gamble on his guess!

"Your Majesty? You are quite bold." The emperor's voice was indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Xu Sheng immediately knelt down, "This servant dares not."

A short, soft laugh echoed through the empty Wenyuan Hall. As Xu Sheng's calves cramped, he heard the emperor say, "I grant your permission."

This not only granted permission for the cherry matter, but also allowed him to address Madam Wen as "Your Highness" in private.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Xu Sheng felt relieved, knowing that he had made the right bet.

The world is about to change in this palace.

A note from the author:

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